Prisoner Swap For WSJ Reporter Held In Russia
President Joe Biden said Thursday he is serious about a prisoner swap for a Wall Street Journal reporter who has been held in Russia for more than 100 days.
The Kremlin suggested earlier this month that it was open to a possible prisoner swap. Include Ivan Gershkovich, but it was emphasized that such conversations should be kept out of the public eye. Speaking at a press conference in Helsinki, Finland, Biden made it clear that the US is interested.
“I am serious about a prisoner exchange,” said Biden, who was concluding a five-day trip to Europe that took him to the UK, Lithuania and Finland. “And I am serious about doing everything possible to free Americans illegally held in Russia or elsewhere, and that process is underway.” Gershkovich was arrested on charges of espionage in the city of Yekaterinburg during a reporting trip.
He is being held at Moscow’s Lefortovo prison, which is notorious for its harsh conditions. A Moscow court recently upheld a decision to keep him in custody until August 30. Gershkovich and her employer have denied the allegations, and the US government has declared her wrongful detention.
His arrest created an uproar among Russian journalists. Officials there have provided no evidence to support the espionage allegations. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed last week that “discussions” have taken place between the two sides, but he cautioned that there is as yet “no clear path” to Gershkovich’s victory. Freedom. Gershkovich is the first American reporter in Russia to face espionage charges since September 1986, when Nicholas Daniloff, the Moscow correspondent for US News and World Report, was arrested by the KGB.
Danilov was released 20 days later in exchange for an employee of the Soviet Union’s mission to the United Nations, who was also arrested by the FBI on charges of espionage. In Washington, the Wall Street Journal and Gershkovich’s family have sought to keep the focus on his custody.
At a National Press Club event on Thursday, Gershkovich’s sister, Danielle, described the emotional pain her brother had suffered from his imprisonment. “I just try to take it day by day. It still feels unreal sometimes. For my parents, it’s a full-time job.” She said she received a letter from them just this week. The one silver lining on the 100th day, she said, was the publicity and attention for her brother. “Evan’s face Seeing” the news was really encouraging. In such dark times, it’s wonderful to see her face again.”
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