Ambassador's return to imprisoned journalist

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【Summary】US Ambassador Lynne Tracy has made her third visit to jailed journalist Evan Gershkovich in Russia. Tracy called for the release of Gershkovich and also imprisoned US Marine Paul Whelan. Both men are being held on charges of espionage, which the US has condemned as politically motivated. Gershkovich was arrested in March and has been held in pre-trial detention. Whelan, who was arrested in 2018, has already been sentenced to 16 years in prison.

FutureCar Staff Aug 14, 2023 5:36 PM PT

Ambassador's return to imprisoned journalist

Ambassador Lynne Tracy, the United States ambassador to Russia, has once again called for the release of journalist Evan Gershkovich and imprisoned US Marine Paul Whelan. Tracy made her appeal during her third visit to Gershkovich, who has been detained for nearly four and a half months. Despite his prolonged detention, Gershkovich appears to be in good health.

The spokesperson for Ambassador Tracy reiterated the United States' plea for the immediate release of Gershkovich and Whelan. Both men are being held on charges of espionage, which the US has condemned as illegitimate and politically motivated. Gershkovich was arrested on March 29 while reporting in Yekaterinburg, Russia, and has been held in pre-trial detention since then.

Tracy's visit to Gershkovich in April and July marked the first time a US journalist has been arrested on spying charges since the Cold War. US officials had previously protested the denial of access to Gershkovich, who is currently detained in Moscow's Lefortovo Prison. The date for his trial has not been set.

In a separate case, Whelan was arrested in 2018 in a Moscow hotel on charges of receiving intelligence information. He was later sentenced to 16 years in prison. The US government had made a serious offer to secure Whelan's release as part of a prisoner swap, but previous exchanges with Russia did not include his freedom.

As negotiations for another prisoner exchange continue, Whelan and his family are concerned that he may once again be left out of any potential swap. The arrests of Whelan and Gershkovich have occurred amidst heightened tensions between the US and Russia, particularly following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.