Biden on the Anniversary of the Arrest of an American Journalist by Russia: Journalism is Not a Crime

Joe Biden, the President of the United States, stated on Friday, April 10, on the anniversary of the arrest of Evan Gershkovich, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, by Russia, that the U.S. is tirelessly working to ensure his freedom. According to the Associated Press, Biden said in a statement: "Journalism is not a crime, and Evan went to Russia to fulfill his duties as a journalist, risking his safety to shed light on Russia's brutal aggression against Ukraine." Evan Gershkovich, 32 years old, was arrested on this day last year while traveling to Yekaterinburg, about two thousand kilometers east of Moscow, to report, on charges of "espionage" and has been in prison since then. The Russian Federal Security Service claims that Gershkovich "collected information at the behest of the American side that constitutes state secrets from Russia's military-industrial complex." However, no evidence has been presented to substantiate this accusation. He, the Wall Street Journal, and the U.S. government have called this accusation baseless. The Wall Street Journal on Friday headlined on the front page alongside his image: "A Year of Life Stolen: Evan Gershkovich in Russian Prison." A recent court session provided little information regarding Gershkovich's case. According to the court's ruling, he must remain behind bars at least until July 1, the fifth extension of his detention. Biden stated in this announcement that he will never lose hope for his freedom. He said: "We will continue to work every day for his release. We will continue to condemn and punish Russia for its abhorrent efforts to use Americans as bargaining chips. We stand firmly against all those who seek to attack the press or target journalists, the pillars of a free society." Biden emphasized that the United States is working to free all Americans who have been taken hostage or unjustly detained abroad. Paul Whelan, an executive from Michigan, is another American imprisoned in Russia. He was arrested in 2018 on charges of "espionage" and in 2020 a Russian court sentenced him to 16 years in prison. He and the U.S. government have called the espionage charges fabricated. Analysts believe that following the escalation of tensions between the U.S. and Russia due to Russia's military invasion of Ukraine, Moscow is using imprisoned American citizens as bargaining tools. Extensive missile and drone attacks by Russia on Ukraine have caused power outages in some areas. The Kremlin stated that "complete silence" is required regarding the potential exchange of the imprisoned American journalist. The detention of Evan Gershkovich, the American journalist, has been extended for another three months. Russia rejected Ukraine's proposed peace plan.