Evan Gershkovich: Jailed U.S. reporter's family speak after a year in Russian prison
It has been one year since the jailing of American Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in Russia on charges of espionage.
Even as a child, Evan Gershkovich seemed destined to be a reporter. He was always curious, liked a good story and was deeply interested in Russia, from which his parents had emigrated during the Soviet era.
He was there as Russia instituted the biggest crackdown on the free press in decades — one that would ensnare him and leave him awaiting trial on espionage charges that many in the West decry as punishment for doing his job. NBC News spoke to his family and some of his closest friends as his detention reached a year Friday.
Gershkovich, 32, was arrested last March while reporting for The Wall Street Journal in the city of Yekaterinburg, in the Ural Mountains. The Kremlin said he was caught “red-handed” receiving “secret information,” but to this day, Russia has not provided evidence to support the accusation. Gershkovich and the Journal deny all charges against him.
He is being kept in Moscow’s notorious Lefortovo Prison, which is known for its harsh conditions. His multiple appeals have been rejected in court, and his latest appearance this week saw his pretrial detention extended again, until at least June 30. The Kremlin said Thursday that it does not have information about when his trial could begin. In a statement Friday, President Joe Biden addressed the anniversary of Gershkovich's incarceration, reiterating that the United States continues to work to secure his release and "denounce and impose costs for Russia’s appalling attempts to use Americans as bargaining chips. And we will continue to stand strong against all those who seek to attack the press or target journalists — the pillars of free society."
He added a direct address to Gershkovich, as well as Paul Whelan, a businessman and former U.S. Marine also jailed in Russia on espionage charges: "We are with you. And we will never stop working to bring you home."
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