‘Russia has crossed the Rubicon’: Press groups condemn Russia’s detention of WSJ reporter

Global press groups have condemned Russia’s detention of a Wall Street Journal reporter on charges of “espionage”.

Evan Gershkovich, 31, was detained in Yekaterinburg on Wednesday. Russia alleged he had “collected information classified as a state secret” and had been “acting on US instruction”, BBC reported. 

The US condemned the detention “in the strongest possible terms”, calling it part of “the Kremlin’s continued attempts to intimidate, repress, and punish journalists and civil society voices”. The Wall Street Journal “vehemently” denied the allegations against Gershkovich and sought “the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter”.

Reporters Without Borders issued a statement asking Russian authorities to “clarify the espionage charges” against Gershkovich, describing it as “an arrest that is unprecedented since the Cold War”.

“There is no indication that this recognised journalist was doing anything other than legitimate investigative reporting in the field for his news organisation,” said Jeanne Cavelier, the head of the group’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk. “...We call on the Russian authorities to provide precise information about these serious charges, to allow this journalist access to his lawyer and to release him so that he can prepare his defence.”

The Committee to Protect Journalists said Russia must “immediately and unconditionally release” Gershkovich and “drop all charges against him”. A statement from Gulnoza Said, CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator, said Russia “has crossed the Rubicon and sent a clear message to foreign correspondents that they will not be spared from the ongoing purge of the independent media in the country”.

Said added, “Authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Gershkovich, drop all charges against him, and let the media work freely and without fear of reprisal.”