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| Russia arrests Wall Street Journal reporter and accuses him of espionage | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Evan Gershkovich could face up to 20 years in prison as FSB says he was ‘collecting classified information’ | |
| Russian authorities have arrested a US journalist working in the country and accused him of espionage, a charge which could carry a prison sentence of up to 20 years. | Russian authorities have arrested a US journalist working in the country and accused him of espionage, a charge which could carry a prison sentence of up to 20 years. |
| Russia’s FSB security service said Evan Gershkovich, a well-respected reporter from the Wall Street Journal, “was collecting classified information about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military industrial complex”. | Russia’s FSB security service said Evan Gershkovich, a well-respected reporter from the Wall Street Journal, “was collecting classified information about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military industrial complex”. |
| Gershkovich was detained during a reporting trip to the Urals city of Ekaterinburg. The newspaper Kommersant, citing sources, said he would be brought from the city to Moscow where he would be officially charged in court. The FSB claimed Gershkovich was “acting on instructions from the American side”. | Gershkovich was detained during a reporting trip to the Urals city of Ekaterinburg. The newspaper Kommersant, citing sources, said he would be brought from the city to Moscow where he would be officially charged in court. The FSB claimed Gershkovich was “acting on instructions from the American side”. |
| The 31-year-old journalist has lived in Moscow for six years, speaks fluent Russian and is accredited as a journalist with Russia’s foreign ministry. Prior to the Wall Street Journal, Gershkovich had previously worked in Russia for the Moscow Times and Agence France-Presse. | The 31-year-old journalist has lived in Moscow for six years, speaks fluent Russian and is accredited as a journalist with Russia’s foreign ministry. Prior to the Wall Street Journal, Gershkovich had previously worked in Russia for the Moscow Times and Agence France-Presse. |
| Before his arrest, Gershkovich was reportedly working on a story about Wagner, the notionally private military group run by the businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, which has done much of the fighting in Ukraine. | Before his arrest, Gershkovich was reportedly working on a story about Wagner, the notionally private military group run by the businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, which has done much of the fighting in Ukraine. |
| Since Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, decided to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine last February, reporting from inside Russia has become much more difficult. Russia’s foreign ministry has put dozens of journalists on blacklists, barring them from entry, and refused accreditation to others. | Since Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, decided to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine last February, reporting from inside Russia has become much more difficult. Russia’s foreign ministry has put dozens of journalists on blacklists, barring them from entry, and refused accreditation to others. |
| A series of laws, including one outlawing “fakes”, have made honest reporting on the war from inside Russia difficult and dangerous, and many journalists have left the country. | A series of laws, including one outlawing “fakes”, have made honest reporting on the war from inside Russia difficult and dangerous, and many journalists have left the country. |
| However, this is the first time a foreign reporter has been charged with crimes since the beginning of the war, and Gershkovich is the first US reporter to be accused of espionage in Russia since the end of the cold war. | However, this is the first time a foreign reporter has been charged with crimes since the beginning of the war, and Gershkovich is the first US reporter to be accused of espionage in Russia since the end of the cold war. |
| Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for Russia’s foreign ministry, wrote on Telegram on Thursday morning that it was not the first time that journalistic accreditation had been used in Russia as “cover” for other activities. | Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for Russia’s foreign ministry, wrote on Telegram on Thursday morning that it was not the first time that journalistic accreditation had been used in Russia as “cover” for other activities. |
| “What the Wall Street Journal employee was doing in Ekaterinburg had nothing to do with journalism,” she wrote. | “What the Wall Street Journal employee was doing in Ekaterinburg had nothing to do with journalism,” she wrote. |
| Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s spokesperson, said Gershkovich was “caught red-handed” when asked about the incident on Thursday, RIA Novosti reported. | Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s spokesperson, said Gershkovich was “caught red-handed” when asked about the incident on Thursday, RIA Novosti reported. |
| Friends and colleagues of Gershkovich described the allegations as absurd, describing Gershkovich as a professional and the allegations against him as “ridiculous”. | Friends and colleagues of Gershkovich described the allegations as absurd, describing Gershkovich as a professional and the allegations against him as “ridiculous”. |
| “The Wall Street Journal vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich. We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family,” the newspaper said in a statement. | “The Wall Street Journal vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich. We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family,” the newspaper said in a statement. |
| High-profile arrests of foreigners in Russia often appear to be designed to boost an “exchange pool” of prisoners that Russia can swap for Russians arrested abroad. Last year, Russian authorities arrested the US basketball player Brittney Griner on drugs charges and sentenced her to nine years in prison. She was swapped in December for Viktor Bout, an arms dealer nicknamed the “Merchant of Death”, who had been held long-term in the US. | High-profile arrests of foreigners in Russia often appear to be designed to boost an “exchange pool” of prisoners that Russia can swap for Russians arrested abroad. Last year, Russian authorities arrested the US basketball player Brittney Griner on drugs charges and sentenced her to nine years in prison. She was swapped in December for Viktor Bout, an arms dealer nicknamed the “Merchant of Death”, who had been held long-term in the US. |
| Last week, sources said negotiations were under way between western countries and Russia for the possible exchange of two alleged Russian deep-cover spies arrested in Slovenia, but that it had not been possible to reach an agreement. Some observers speculated that bringing espionage charges against Gershkovich could be aimed at improving Russia’s negotiating hand. |