U.S. State Department says Evan Gershkovich ‘wrongfully detained’

The Wall Street Journal reporter has been accused of spying, which the White House labels ‘ridiculous’.

The United States says that Russia “wrongfully detained” an American Wall Street Journal reporter.

A State Department spokesperson says “Journalism is not a crime” and “condemns the Kremlin’s continued repression of independent voices in Russia”

Russia arrested Evan Gershkovich last month, accusing him of spying.

The White House called the espionage charge “ridiculous.”

U.S. President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken raised Washington’s concerns over the reporter’s “unacceptable detention.”

The case will now be transferred to the Office of the Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs.

This raises the political profile of the case and allows the government to allocate more resources to help free the reporter.