The family of Russian-detained Wall Street Journal reporter speaks out for the 1st time
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The family of a Wall Street Journal reporter who was detained in Russia is speaking out about the situation and advocating for him to come home.
Russia detained Evan Gershkovich on claims of espionage on March 29 — claims that the Journal and the United States State Department vehemently deny, saying he is being imprisoned unjustly.
What did Evan Gershkovich’s family tell The Wall Street Journal?
“It was just like crushing. Totally crushing,” Ella Milman, Gershkovich’s mother, told The Wall Street Journal about how it felt when she found out her son was arrested in Russia. “It all came back,” she said, referring to her experiences growing up in the Soviet Union hiding that her family was Jewish and ultimately fleeing the country in the ’80s to come to New York.
When his father, Mikail Gershkovich, was asked if he had discussed the dangers or concerns about being a journalist in Russia, he told the Journal he “trusted his judgment.”
“I trusted him,” he said. “I trusted his judgment. Of course it makes things more difficult for me now because I feel I’ve failed in some ways as a father.”
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President Biden calls Evan Gershkovich’s family
On Tuesday, President Joe Biden spoke to the family and told reporters, “We’re making it real clear that it’s totally illegal what’s happening,” per ABC News.
The Gershkovich family released a statement expressing appreciation for the call from the president.
“We appreciate President Biden’s call to us today, assuring us that the U.S. government is doing everything in its power to bring him home as quickly as possible,” the statement said, per ABC News. “In addition to being a distinguished journalist, Evan is a beloved son and brother. There is a hole in our hearts and in our family that won’t be filled until we are reunited.”
Russia is discussing doing a prisoner swap for Gershkovich
On Wednesday, a Russian diplomat said Russia might be interested in a prisoner swap with the U.S. in exchange for Gershkovich to return. But he warned that negotiations would not take place until after a trial and verdict, PBS reported.
“We have a working channel that was used in the past to achieve concrete agreements, and these agreements were fulfilled,” Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told state news agency Tass, per PBS.
Discussions around returning Paul Whelan, a businessman and former Marine Russia imprisoned, are also taking place. Whelan was imprisoned on claims of espionage that the U.S. denies, according to NBC News.
