US reporter Evan Gershkovich released from Russian detention

MOSCOW/WASHINGTON: A reporter for the Wall Street Journal Evan Gershkovich was finally released from Russian custody as part of a prisoner exchange on Wednesday.

Gershkovich was accused of espionage charges, and selling spent 16 months in detention before returning to the United States. His release follows a complex negotiation involving multiple prisoners.

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The exchange included the release of Erin Gershkovich, two other US citizens, and eight Russians from various forms of detention. Among those involved in the swap was Vadim Krasikov, a convicted assassin from Germany, who was transported from Berlin to Turkey before returning to Russia. Krasikov had been sentenced for a high-profile murder in Berlin.

The Wall Street Journal’s newsroom responded with significant relief and celebration upon receiving the news of Gershkovich’s release. The newspaper’s staff expressed the team’s profound satisfaction and noted the emotional impact of the development.

Upon arrival in the U.S., Gershkovich and the other released detainees will be met by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at Joint Base Andrews. They will undergo health assessments and psychological evaluations at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. This process is standard for individuals who have been wrongfully detained abroad.

Ella Gershkovich, Evan’s mother, attended a private meeting with President Biden at the White House on the morning of her son’s release. The meeting was conducted under strict confidentiality until the release was confirmed.

The negotiations leading to Gershkovich’s release involved extensive diplomatic efforts by US and Russian officials. The US State Department, along with international allies, facilitated the exchange.

The negotiation reflects the longstanding complexities involved in addressing wrongful detentions and political prisoners.

The Committee to Protect Journalists has welcomed the release of Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva, another journalist who was released as part of the same exchange. The organisation has called for the release of other journalists currently detained in Russia and for an end to harassment of exiled journalists.

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The release of Gershkovich and the other detainees reflects ongoing international efforts to address wrongful imprisonment and improve diplomatic relations.