Sister of detained WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich appeals for release amid holiday season
Sister WSJ reporter on his Russian imprisonment
Danielle Gershkovich, the sister of Wall Street Journal report Evan Gershkovich, says her brother's imprisonment in Russia on espionage charges has been difficult, especially around the holidays. Monday marked 250 days since 32-year-old was detained. Both the U.S. and the paper refute the charges.
Monday marked 250 days since Wall Street Journal report Evan Gershkovich was detained in Russia, accused of espionage.
Gershkovich, 32, was apprehended in March during a reporting assignment in Yekaterinburg, Russia, approximately 1,200 miles east of Moscow. The Russian Federal Security Service claimed that Gershkovich, allegedly at the request of the American government, gathered information deemed a state secret regarding the operations of a Russian military-industrial complex enterprise.
Both Gershkovich and The Wall Street Journal refute the accusations, with the U.S. government, asserting his unjust detention. Russian authorities have not provided specific evidence supporting the espionage charges.
His sister, Danielle Gershkovich, says his absence has been particularly hard this time of year due to the holidays.
"For Thanksgiving recently, we had a seat at the table for Evan, we saved for him, so it’s very painful and it gets harder as time’s going on, especially around the holidays, when we were expecting to see him," said Danielle Gershkovich, who spoke to FOX 5’s Kaitlyn Pratt.
Last week, the reporter appeared in a Moscow court where it was announced he would be held until at least January 30, according to Russian news agencies. The hearing took place behind closed doors because Russian authorities claim his criminal case is classified.
"We are just so inspired by how strong Evan is keeping himself right now. He works very hard. To keep his spirits up. And seeing that, it gives us the strength to keep doing whatever we can do to get him home as soon as possible," his sister told FOX 5.
US journalist Evan Gershkovich, arrested on espionage charges, stands inside a defendants cage before a hearing to consider an appeal on his extended pre-trial detention at the Moscow City Court in Moscow on September 19, 2023. Gershkovich was detain
Gershkovich is the first American journalist to face espionage charges in Russia since 1986, when Moscow arrested U.S. News and World Report correspondent Nicholas Daniloff. Currently held at Moscow's Lefortovo prison, known for its harsh conditions, Gershkovich's case raises concerns amid heightened U.S.-Russian tensions following Russia's military intervention in Ukraine.
Analysts suggest Moscow might be employing detained Americans as diplomatic leverage. Previous instances, such as the exchange of WNBA star Brittney Griner for Russians held in the U.S., highlight a potential pattern.
The Russian Foreign Ministry places conditions on any swap for Gershkovich on the trial's verdict. Notably, espionage trials in Russia typically extend beyond a year.