Russia has detained a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reporter on espionage charges. This is the first time since the Cold War that an American journalist has been arrested in Russia on espionage allegations.
On the 30th (local time), Russian news agencies Interfax and Sputnik reported that the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) detained Evan Gershkovich, a correspondent for the WSJ Moscow bureau, on espionage charges.
The FSB stated, "Gershkovich collected confidential information about the activities of one of Russia's military-industrial complex enterprises under the direction of the United States," adding, "Gershkovich's illegal activities suspected of espionage on behalf of the U.S. government have been stopped."
The Federal Security Service of Russia announced on the 30th (local time) that it has detained Evan Gershkovich, an American correspondent for the Moscow bureau of the US daily The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), on espionage charges. The photo was taken in 2021 of reporter Gershkovich. [Photo by Yonhap News]
Previously, reporter Gershkovich worked for the English news website The Moscow Times and later at the AFP Moscow bureau. He is currently affiliated with the WSJ and mainly covers Russian politics and the Ukraine crisis.
The WSJ issued a statement saying, "The company is deeply concerned about Gershkovich's safety."
This is the first time since the Cold War that an American journalist has been arrested in Russia on espionage charges. According to the Associated Press, if convicted of espionage in Russia, the maximum sentence can be up to 20 years in prison.
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