Yahoo Finance 'Wall Street Journal' Reporter Detained in Russia on Spying Charges
Journalist Evan Gershkovich has been accused by Russian authorities of gathering state secrets for the U.S. government
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has been arrested in Russia and accused of spying.
The 31-year-old U.S. citizen was detained in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg for what Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed was "espionage in the interests of the American government." If convicted, the charge has a maximum jail term of 20 years.
In a statement to Russian state media, FSB claimed: "It has been established that E. Gershkovich, acting on an assignment from the American side, was gathering information classified as a state secret about the activity of one of the enterprises of Russia's military-industrial complex."
"The Wall Street Journal vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich. We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family," a statement from the WSJ said.
Reporters Without Borders criticized the incident in a Twitter post, saying it was: "alarmed by what seems to be a 'retaliatory' measure: journalists must not be targeted!" and claimed Gershkovich was currently investigating the Wagner Group, an infamous Russian mercenary organization.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has designated the Wagner Group as Transnational Criminal Organization, saying its leader Yevgeniy Prigozhin is a [Vladimir] Putin crony and the target of multiple U.S. sanctions.
Related:Everything to Know About Russia's Invasion One Year Later
Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova posted a message on her Telegram channel, which — in a translation from Russian to English — claimed: "What an employee of the American edition of The Wall Street Journal was doing in Yekaterinburg has nothing to do with journalism."
Yekaterinburg is Russia's fourth-largest city and is a manufacturing hub known for heavy industry and steel-making.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed Gershkovich "was caught red-handed," per Russian state media.
According to Gershkovich's biography page on the WSJ website, he has worked as a reporter in Russia since 2017. He has previously worked at Agence France-Presse, Moscow Times and The New York Times.
His most recent article was published on March 28, sharing a byline with fellow reporter Georgi Kantchev in a story headlined: Russia's Economy Is Starting to Come Undone
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The arrest of Gershkovich comes after WNBA player Brittney Griner was detained in Russia for 10 months. Griner, 32, was released from Russian custody in a prisoner exchange for a convicted arms dealer, after spending nearly 10 months under arrest
The U.S. travel advisory lists Russia at Level 4 - Do Not Travel, the highest possible level.
The U.S. Department of State cites: "Do not travel to Russia due to the unpredictable consequences of the unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian military forces, the potential for harassment and the singling out of U.S. citizens for detention by Russian government security officials, the arbitrary enforcement of local law, limited flights into and out of Russia, the Embassy's limited ability to assist U.S. citizens in Russia, and the possibility of terrorism. U.S. citizens residing or travelling in Russia should depart immediately. Exercise increased caution due to the risk of wrongful detentions."
PEOPLE has contacted the U.S. Embassy in Moscow for comment.
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