US Ambassador Visits WSJ Reporter Gershkovich in Russian Prison

(Bloomberg) -- The US ambassador to Russia on Monday visited detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in a Russian prison, more than 2 1/2 weeks since his arrest on spying charges, the American Embassy in Moscow said.

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“We reiterate our call for his immediate release,” said the envoy, Lynne Tracy, noting that he “is in good health.”

The Biden administration had complained that Russia was violating diplomatic norms by refusing to provide Gershkovich with consular access.

Gershkovich, 31, was detained March 29 in Yekaterinburg, about 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) east of Moscow, by Federal Security Service (FSB) agents. Charged with spying, which carries a 20-year penalty, he’s now being held in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison. The Kremlin says he was caught “red handed,” but has provided no evidence. The Wall Street Journal denies the allegations.

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Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said last week that the Kremlin was willing to negotiate a swap involving Gershkovich, but only after his trial is concluded.

The State Department has formally determined that Gershkovich has been wrongfully detained by Russia, which opens the way to the US to negotiate on his behalf. He’s the first American reporter to be detained on accusations of espionage since the Cold War.

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