President Joe Biden on Tuesday spoke to the parents of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested in Russia on espionage charges last month, and condemned his detention as “totally illegal.”
The president’s actions come one day after his administration formally determined Monday that a Wall Street Journal reporter arrested in Russia on espionage charges has been “wrongfully detained.”
“We’re making it real clear that it’s totally illegal what’s happening, and we declared it so,” President Biden told reporters before traveling to Ireland, adding that the wrongful detention declaration “changes the dynamic.”
Shortly after, the White House’s chief spokesperson told reporters traveling with the president aboard Air Force One that Biden spoke to Gershkovich’s parents.
“[Biden] felt it was really important to connect with Evan’s family, his parents,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.
“The president made it clear that his national security team has been and will remain focused on securing evidence released as well as that of Paul Whelan, both of whom are wrongfully detained in Russia,” she said. “The charges against Evan are completely baseless. He should be released immediately. The State Department continues to seek consular access to him.”
In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, Gershkovich’s family said that they are “encouraged” by the United States’ wrongful detention designation and appreciated President Biden’s call.
“There is a hole in our hearts and in our family that won’t be filled until we are reunited,” they wrote.
The wrongful detention designation elevates the case of Gershkovich in the U.S. government hierarchy and means that a dedicated State Department office will take the lead on securing his release.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the determination on Monday, saying he condemned the arrest and Russia’s repression of independent media.
“Today, Secretary Blinken made a determination that Evan Gershkovich is wrongfully detained by Russia,” the department said in a statement. “Journalism is not a crime. We condemn the Kremlin’s continued repression of independent voices in Russia, and its ongoing war against the truth.”
Russian authorities arrested Gershkovich, 31, in Yekaterinburg, Russia’s fourth-largest city, on March 29. He is the first U.S. correspondent since the Cold War to be detained for alleged spying.
The Federal Security Service specifically accused Gershkovich of trying to obtain classified information about a Russian arms factory. The Wall Street Journal has denied the accusations.
The State Department said the U.S. government will provide all appropriate support to Gershkovich and his family and again called for Russia to release him as well as another detained American citizen, Paul Whelan.
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby on Tuesday clarified what such a designation means and where the U.S. is in the process of attempting to secure Gershkovich’s release.
“The determination of wrongful detention doesn’t start the clock necessarily on communicating with the Russians about getting him released,” Kirby said. “We’re very early in this process here, and I certainly I think you can understand why I wouldn’t talk about any discussions we might be having with the Russians about his release or Paul’s release. We certainly wouldn’t do that.”
“We want to make sure we get consular access to him, which we haven’t had, and we want to see him released immediately,” Kirby added. “But I’m just not at liberty to talk about the context of any specific conversations that we might or might not be having with the Russians about him.”
Kirby said that they have had internal discussion about the case, but did not want to make those public for fear of making it harder to get both Americans home. Likewise, he declined to make public what Biden and Gershkovich’s parents discussed to respect their privacy.
Monday’s statement from Blinken was the first public comment on the case since Russian news agencies reported on Friday that Gershkovich had been charged with espionage and had entered a formal denial.
The state news agency Tass and the Interfax news agency said a law enforcement source informed them that the Federal Security Service, known as the FSB, had officially charged the American journalist.
The news outlets didn’t say in what form Gershkovich was formally charged or when it happened, but generally suspects are presented a paper outlining the accusations.
In the Russian legal system, the filing of charges and a response from the accused represent the formal start of a criminal probe, initiating what could be a long and secretive Russian judicial process.
Tass quoted its source as saying: “The FSB investigation charged Gershkovich with espionage in the interests of his country. He categorically denied all accusations and stated that he was engaged in journalistic activities in Russia.”
The source declined further comment because the case is considered secret.
The case has caused an international uproar and last Thursday, the U.S ambassador to Russia and a top Russian diplomat met to discuss the case.
In the meeting with U.S. Ambassador Lynne T. Tracy, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stressed “the serious nature of the charges” against Gershkovich, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
The statement repeated earlier Russian claims that the reporter “was caught red-handed while trying to obtain secret information, using his journalistic status as a cover for illegal actions.”
Gershkovich has been ordered held behind bars for two months in Russia pending an investigation. A Moscow court said it had received a defense appeal of his arrest; the appeal is scheduled to be heard on April 18, according to Russian news agencies.
