FOX Nation debuts a new special, “Putin’s Prisoner,” on Thursday, the day before the solemn one-year anniversary of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich’s arrest and detention in Russia on suspected spying charges. It was broadcast.
“Putin’s Prisoner” details the life and recovery of Gershkovych, who was held in Moscow’s notorious Lefortovo prison on charges that the Wall Street Journal and the U.S. government vehemently deny.
Jeremy Burke, a close friend of Gershkovitch who met him at Bowdoin College 15 years ago and has appeared on the special, is part of a group of close friends working to get his story in the news. They believe he should be seen with empathy and compassion, not as a political symbol.
“As friends, I think we can probably share a slightly different perspective than his sister and his family, even though they are his greatest defenders among us. From people. I think it’s also helpful to hear things like, “getting to know him in a different way, and that’s what we can do, and we’re going to continue to do that until he gets home,” Burke said. told FOX News Digital.
The Wall Street Journal hopes Evan Gershkovic’s year in Russian prison will be a ‘final milestone’
“Putin’s Prisoner” details the life and recovery of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich while he was held in Moscow’s notorious Lefortovo Prison. (Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP via Getty Images)
“We don’t want this to fall by the wayside. There’s a lot going on in the world. We don’t want this to be a murky international incident. This is about our friend Evan. That’s what I want him to be. He’s just a great guy,” he added. “Anyone who meets him realizes that in the first 30 seconds and everyone wants him home.Politics aside, what he’s going through is an injustice and he’s safe. We must all fight to ensure their swift return.”
Burke, along with the Wall Street Journal and the Biden administration, called the idea that he could be some kind of spy “ridiculous.” The son of Soviet immigrants who immigrated to the United States before he was born, Gershkovitch has always had a special appreciation for his parents’ homeland and is currently separated from his beloved family in Russia. gives a cruel irony to He was arrested in Yekaterinburg on March 29 last year while on a reporting trip.
“Evan is an accredited journalist. He was there with permission from the Russian government and was a very good reporter,” Burke said. “That’s what I don’t want to get lost in. He really had a mission to expose the truth in Russia, but not as an enemy of the Russian state or the Russian people. Similarly, he really had a mission to expose the truth in Russia, but not as an enemy of the Russian state or the Russian people. I loved it. I loved living in Russia.” He loved experiencing his culture and improving his language. ”
“I think he was there trying to do everything he could to help the Russian people and help us here at home understand Russia. The spying charge was completely fabricated. Yes, and it’s completely ridiculous,” he continued. “When I look at the communications from the Kremlin, it seems like they continue to believe that, which is baffling to me.”
Colleagues of detained WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovitch speak of their passion for Russian journalism
Evan Gershkovich and Jeremy Burke. (Bark)
Friends and family of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich are working to keep his story on the front lines. (Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Gershkovitch’s friend Sam Silverman, former Moscow-based Fox News Channel senior correspondent Steve Harrigan, and Wall Street Journal colleagues Gordon Fairclough and Paul Beckett. He also contributed to “Putin’s Prisoner.”
On Tuesday, a Russian court extended his detention, meaning Mr. Gershković will be held until at least June 30. Ambassador Lynn Tracey attended the court hearing and reiterated that “the charges against Mr. Evan are categorically false.”
Burke, who lived with Gershkovic in their Crown Heights apartment for nearly two years, doesn’t stop playing the drums until his friend returns home.
“Evan is truly one of my favorite friends and someone I’ve always felt sympathy for on a lot of things, so it’s been tough for a long time,” Burke said.
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovic turns 32 while being illegally detained in Russia
Beckett, who went from overseeing the Washington bureau to focusing solely on securing Gershkovic’s release, wants the one-year mark to be “the final milestone in his time in prison.”
Panelists speak at an event highlighting the long-term detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, July 13, 2023. ((Photo credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images))
“It is our job to inform as many people as possible about Evan and his plight. As you know, we hope that this issue will be resolved soon and through negotiations between governments. We believe that if he is, if he is forgotten or if we don’t keep him in the spotlight, it will only make things more difficult,” Beckett told FOX News Digital.
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In “Putin’s Prisoner,” currently streaming, Burke, Beckett and others discuss Gershkovitch’s plight.
Anyone who wants to know more about Gershković can access it WSJ.com/Evan and FreeGershkovich.com.
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