Russian President Vladimir Putin personally approved the arrest of Wall Street Journal correspondent Evan Gershkovich, Bloomberg reports, citing sources. This is the first arrest of a journalist accused of espionage since the Cold War.
On condition of anonymity, Bloomberg interlocutors familiar with the situation said the country’s president’s involvement in the criminal prosecution of a “troublesome” foreign journalist indicates extremist influence aimed at deepening the confrontation with Washington grows in the Kremlin.
Center for European Policy Analysis President Alina Polyakova told the agency that Gershkovich’s arrest is a challenge not just for the United States, but for the entire West. “This signals that in Putin’s mind a return to a stable and secure relationship is no longer possible,” Polyakova said.
Bloomberg sources also say the initiative to arrest the American journalist for spying came from senior Russian intelligence officials. According to the agency, the special services report directly to Putin.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was not Putin’s decision, but “the full prerogative of the special services, they were doing their job.”
Evan Gershkovich, correspondent for one of the main American editions of the Wall Street Journal, was arrested on March 29 in Yekaterinburg. The court charged him with espionage and placed him in custody for two months. The Russian investigation claims that Gershkovich collected secret information about one of the enterprises of the military-industrial complex on the orders of the United States. Details of fees are not given. The Kremlin said it had evidence against Gershkovich, but did not specify what it was.
Gershkovich pleaded not guilty. The Wall Street Journal vehemently denied the spying allegations and said Gershkowitz was doing his job. In particular, he asked the inhabitants of Yekaterinburg about their reaction to the losses suffered in Ukraine by PMC Wagner.
The US State Department has recognized journalist Evan Gershkovich as “wrongfully detained” by Russia. This status is equivalent to that of a hostage and allows Washington to use additional mechanisms to request his release – in particular to negotiate the exchange of an American citizen.
Accused of espionage, Gershkovich in Russia could face up to 20 years in prison.
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