The U.S. condemns the arrest of the Wall Street Journal reporter
In a statement regarding the arrest of the Wall Street Journal reporter in Russia, the U.S. State Department declared, ‘We are deeply concerned by the troubling reports that Evan Gershkovich, an American citizen, has been arrested in Russia.’
The statement reads, ‘We condemn the continued harassment and suppression of journalists and press freedom by the Russian government.’ Washington says it is in contact with the Wall Street Journal, Evan Gershkovich’s family, and the Russian government.
The arrest of Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter, took place yesterday in Yekaterinburg.
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) has accused him of espionage, claiming that the reporter was gathering information on a Russian military company at the behest of the U.S., which falls under the classification of state secret information.