Entering 2024, Evan Gershkovic's future was anything but certain. All Wall Street Journal reporters and their allies saw was indefinite detention at the mercy of a repressive regime that used him as a high-stakes bargaining chip.
But a year later, Gershkovic returned home with his family and began reporting again. The nightmarish ordeal began in March 2023, when the reporter was arrested in Yekaterinburg and found innocent on charges of espionage, but a complicated prisoner swap led to him and former marine Paul Whelan being held permanently in Russia. It was later concluded in August.
Gershkovic, now 33, has kept a low profile since returning to the United States, where he was greeted by his family, President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. But, as he said, he “never stopped reporting” even as he languished for more than a year in a notorious Moscow prison.
Earlier this month, his name appeared in a magazine. WSJ article byline About the Kremlin's secret spy squad behind his arrest, and how it was used as a bargaining chip for the eventual release of Russian hitman Vadim Krasikov and others. This deeply reported article delves into Russia's shadow Ministry of Counterintelligence and how it orchestrated his imprisonment, which lasted 490 days.
Evan Gershkovich and his mother Ella Millman smile as they arrive at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, on Aug. 1, 2024. (Robert Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images)
The Wall Street Journal's Evan Gershkovitch exposes the Kremlin's shadowy figures behind Russia's imprisonment
“We're really happy to have Evan's byline back,” Wall Street Journal editor Emma Tucker said. fox news digital. “We have all missed his great reporting and the unique insight he brought to the Journal's coverage.”
Gershkovitch's friends at the Journal and throughout the media industry worked tirelessly to keep his plight in the public consciousness. The Biden administration quickly deemed him “unlawfully detained” after his arrest, and the president mentioned both Gershkovic and Whelan in his 2024 State of the Union address, calling for their return. As it turned out, Biden was considering withdrawing from the July presidential race, while also negotiating a deal to bring the men home immediately.
Gershkovitch himself has become a symbol of both the human spirit and the consequences of Russia's ruthless crackdown on journalism and dissent under authoritarian leader Vladimir Putin.
During his time in prison, he never seemed grumpy, and friends and family said he was always cheerful, writing letters and tracking other people's birthdays. He once played chess in slow motion over email with his father, who like his mother immigrated to the United States from the Soviet Union.
That didn't make the situation any harder for his loved ones. They were celebrating the holiday with empty chairs to outdo their missing friend, a friend who just wanted to be a reporter turned political pawn. Gershkovitch had long been fascinated by Russia and was active in reporting on it, despite the inherent dangers. “Journalism is not a crime'' has become a popular slogan, and this seems to be the case in Russia.
Evan Gershkovich reacts after getting off a plane at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, USA, on August 1, 2024. (Kevin Mohat/Reuters)
Behind the scenes of the prisoner swap that freed WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovic from a Russian prison
“It's been a nightmare for us. A year was too long for Evan to be in prison,” Evan's close friend and Guardian reporter Piotr Sauer told Fox News Digital in March, marking the anniversary of his incarceration. Ta. “We all know these charges are completely bogus, and we hope the White House will do everything it can.”
After repeated extensions of pre-trial detention, Gershković was finally convicted in July and sentenced to 16 years in a penal colony. This was expected and was actually seen as a possible way to proceed with a prisoner exchange.
Then, on August 1st, the news finally came out of nowhere. A deal was signed and Gershkovic would finally return home.
Russia and Belarus have released 16 prisoners in exchange for eight Russians held in Western countries. Among the prisoners released by Russia were four Americans, including Mr. Gershkovitch and Mr. Whelan. Also released were Ars Kurmasheva, an American citizen, and Vladimir Kara-Murza, a green card holder.
Journalism community rallies over WSJ's Evan Gershkovic's release of “Champagne in the Newsroom''
Just 11 days after his stunning withdrawal from the 2024 Democratic nomination, Biden said, “Their cruel ordeal is over and they are free.”
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich returned home this year after spending nearly 500 days in prison on suspected spying charges in Russia. (Alexander Nemenov / Contributor)
This was cause for celebration, and even those in the media industry who had never met Gershkovic were overjoyed at his release. Staffers pop open champagne in the Wall Street Journal newsroom. Deputy editor Paul Beckett, who was tasked by the paper to secure Mr Gershkovic's release wherever possible, said: “We celebrated with his wonderful family and today they were all reunited.” I wrote.
“How does it feel to finally be home?” a reporter asked Gershkovich the night he returned to Joint Base Andrews.
He smiled and said, “It's not bad.”
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As a journalist, Gershkovitch had questions to ask Putin when filling out the official request for a presidential pardon, which was mandatory before his release.
Will he be available for an interview?
