The U.S. ambassador to Russia, Lynne Tracy, confirmed on Wednesday that Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich remains in good health and spirits, despite the extension of his pretrial detention on espionage charges by Russia until at least the end of March.
Gershkovich, aged 32, has been detained at the infamous Lefortovo Prison in Moscow since late March 2023. His detention came about while he was reporting in Yekaterinburg, Russia's fourth-largest city, where he was subsequently accused of espionage. His latest appeal was rejected by a Russian court on Tuesday, resulting in the extension of his detention.
"Journalism is not a crime," Ambassador Tracy declared in a Wednesday statement following her visit to Gershkovich in prison. She expressed condemnation of the Kremlin's ongoing repression of independent voices within Russia and its persistent attempts to distort the truth.
"The charges against Evan are baseless, and we call on the Russian Federation to immediately release him," Tracy demanded. She further confirmed that Gershkovich is in good health and remains in good spirits, despite his circumstances. The embassy, she added, will continue to support both Gershkovich and his family.
In her statement, Tracy also demanded the release of Paul Whelan, a corporate security executive from Michigan. Whelan has been incarcerated in Russia since December 2018 on espionage-related charges, which both he and the U.S. government dispute.
"Paul has been wrongfully detained in Russia for more than four years," Tracy stated. "Both men deserve to go home to their families now."
This statement comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin recently expressed openness to a prisoner exchange. In a recent interview, Putin suggested that Gershkovich could be released through such an exchange, and that discussions between the U.S. and Russia are currently in progress.
"There is no taboo to settle this issue. We're willing to solve it," Putin stated. "But there are certain terms being discussed via special services channels. I believe an agreement can be reached."
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