U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken disclosed on Wednesday, April 5, 2023, that he has “no doubt” that Russia has wrongfully detained American reporter for The Wall Street Journal, Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested last week on spying allegations.
However, Blinken said that a formal determination of Evan Gershkovich’s wrongful detention has not yet been made, something that would elevate the priority of his case within the U.S. government. Blinken said that the legal process for such a determination would be completed soon.
“In Evan’s case, we are working through the determination on wrongful detention and there’s a process to do that and it’s something that we’re working through very deliberately, but expeditiously as well and I’ll let that process play out.”
Antony Blinken
Blinken told reporters at NATO headquarters in Brussels, “In my own mind, there’s no doubt that he’s being wrongfully detained by Russia.”
“And that’s exactly what I said to Foreign Minister (Sergey) Lavrov when I spoke to him over the weekend and insisted that Evan be released immediately. But I want to make sure, as always, because there is a formal process that we go through it and we will and I expect that to be completed soon.”
Antony Blinken
In what was a rare call with Lavrov since Russia invaded Ukraine early last year, Blinken also urged him to immediately release another imprisoned American, Paul Whelan, who had already been determined to have been wrongfully detained.
When the U.S. government formally designates an American as wrongfully detained, it shifts supervision of the person’s case to a specialized State Department section; the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, that is focused on negotiating for the release of captives.
The designation empowers the government to use a variety of tools, including diplomacy, to secure the release of a captured American rather than simply waiting for a criminal case to make its way through the system.
“From my perspective, from the department’s perspective, there is no higher priority than the safety and security of American citizens around the world,” Blinken said Wednesday.
Lawyers for Gershkovich have appealed his arrest.
Blinken’s Call With Lavrov Shows U.S. Is Taking The Case “Right Up To The Top”
Emma Tucker, the Journal’s editor-in-chief, said it was “gratifying” and “reassuring” to learn of Blinken’s call with Lavrov because it shows the U.S. government is taking the case “right up to the top.”
U.S. consular officials have requested a visit with Gershkovich, but no announcement of such access has been made. Officials said they were hopeful consular access could be arranged soon but could not speak to when that might happen.
The Journal has adamantly denied the allegations and demanded his release. U.S. officials have also called on Russia to free him, with President Joe Biden telling reporters last week that his message to Russia was: “Let him go.”
Lawyers representing Gershkovich met with him in a Moscow prison on Tuesday, April 4, 2023, for the first time since his detention. According to The Journal, they said “his health is good.”
The FSB, Russia’s top security agency and a successor to the KGB, said Gershkovich was trying to obtain classified information about a Russian arms factory. He is the first U.S. correspondent to be held on spying accusations since the Cold War.
In its summary of the phone call, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Lavrov “drew Blinken’s attention to the need to respect the decisions of the Russian authorities” about Gershkovich, who Moscow claims, without evidence, “was caught red-handed.”
The Kremlin said Lavrov also told Blinken that it was unacceptable for U.S. officials and Western news media to continue “whipping up excitement” and politicizing the journalist’s detention.
“His further fate will be determined by the court,” Lavrov said.
More than 30 news organizations and press freedom advocates have written the Russian Ambassador in the United States to express concern that Russia is sending the message that reporting inside the country is criminalized.
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