Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist Alsu Kurmasheva have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms in Russia, drawing widespread condemnation from journalists and human rights groups.
Evan Gershkovich, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, was sentenced to 16 years in prison by a Russian court on espionage charges, a move that has been widely condemned by journalists and human rights groups. The U.S. government has called the charges politically motivated, and President Joe Biden has expressed outrage over the sentence.
Gershkovich's arrest in March 2023 came while he was on a reporting trip to the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg. Authorities claimed, without offering any evidence, that he was gathering secret information for the U.S. He has been behind bars since his arrest, time that will be counted as part of his sentence. Most of that was in Moscow’s notorious Lefortovo Prison – a czarist-era lockup used during Josef Stalin’s purges, when executions were carried out in its basement. He was transferred to Yekaterinburg for the trial.
U.S. Journalists' Sentencing in Russia Sparks International Outrage
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called for the immediate release of Gershkovich, stating that the charges against him are "baseless" and that his conviction is "a blatant attack on press freedom." The International Press Institute (IPI) has also condemned the sentence, calling it "a travesty of justice."
The U.S. government has repeatedly called for Gershkovich's release and has said that it is working "quite literally every day" to secure his freedom. The U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., Linda Thomas-Greenfield, has accused Moscow of treating "human beings as bargaining chips" and has singled out Gershkovich as a victim of this practice.
U.S. Journalists' Sentencing in Russia Sparks International Outrage
Alsu Kurmasheva, a Russian-American journalist for the U.S. government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), has been sentenced to 6½ years in prison by a Russian court for "spreading false information" about the Russian army. The charges stemmed from a book that the Tatar-Bashkir service of RFE/RL released in 2022 called "No to War" – "a collection of short stories of Russians who don’t want their country to be at war with Ukraine."
Kurmasheva was convicted after a secret trial that lasted just two days. Her family, employer, and the U.S. government have rejected the charges against her and called for her release. The U.S. State Department spokesman, Matthew Miller, said that Kurmasheva is being "targeted by Russian authorities for her uncompromising commitment to speaking the truth."
RFE/RL has also condemned the trial and conviction of Kurmasheva as "a mockery of justice." The organization's President and CEO, Stephen Capus, has called for Kurmasheva's immediate release and said that "the only just outcome is for Alsu to be immediately released from prison by her Russian captors."
The swift and secretive trials of Kurmasheva and Gershkovich in Russia's highly politicized legal system have raised hopes for a possible prisoner swap between Moscow and Washington. Russia has previously signaled a possible exchange involving Gershkovich, but said a verdict in his case must come first.
Arrests of Americans are increasingly common in Russia, with nine U.S. citizens known to be detained there as tensions between the two countries have escalated over fighting in Ukraine. The case of Paul Whelan, a 53-year-old corporate security director from Michigan, has also drawn attention. Whelan was convicted on spying charges in 2019 and is serving a 16-year sentence.
The sentencing of Gershkovich and Kurmasheva has been met with widespread condemnation and has highlighted the deteriorating press freedom in Russia and the dangers faced by journalists who dare to criticize the Kremlin. The international community must continue to pressure Russia to release these journalists and all other political prisoners and to respect the human rights of its citizens.
