WASHINGTON, D.C. – On March 29, 2023, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was arrested by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) while on a reporting trip to the city of Yekaterinburg. A Russian court on March 26, 2024 extended Evan Gershkovich’s pre-trial detention until at least June 30.
Despite having been issued press credentials by Russia’s foreign ministry, Evan was detained on a charge of espionage, the first American detained on such a charge since the Cold War, according to the Wall Street Journal. He is largely cut off from the world and his family and spends most of his time in a small cell in Russia’s notorious Lefortovo prison.
“Journalism is not a crime and Evan should be immediately freed,” NewsGuild-CWA President Jon Schleuss said on the anniversary of his detention. “We stand with Evan, his family, our family at the Wall Street Journal, and with journalists around the world calling for Evan’s immediate release.”
“IAPE1096, the union that represents employees of Dow Jones, including the Wall Street Journal in the US and Canada, continues to offer our full support regarding the unjust arrest of Evan Gershkovich as well as the efforts to bring him home,” said IAPE 1096 President Jodi Green.
Here’s how you can support:
- Write a supportive note to Evan and his family
- Donate to the Free Evan GoFundMe
- Support Evan on social media
- Read Evan’s reporting
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The NewsGuild represents more than 27,000 workers including journalists, interpreters, translators, workers at organizations dedicated to fighting for social justice and the staff of nonprofit organizations. The NewsGuild is a sector of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), which represents workers in telecommunications and information technology, the airline industry, health care, public service and education, manufacturing and other fields.