Evan Gershkovich gets off the plane in Moscow in 2022 to write news for a famous newspaper. At the time, he was 31 years old and considered the assignment a "dream job,", Reuters reports.
However, the dream turns into a real test when Gershkovich becomes the first American journalist since the Cold War era to be arrested in Russia on charges of collecting classified military information for the benefit of US intelligence - a charge he and his employer deny.< /p>
Gerskovich was sentenced to 16 years in prison, according to him and in the "Wall Street Journal" - the publication for which he worked - the case against him was framed.
During his 16-month detention, the "Wall Street Journal" became a Kremlin bargaining chip when Russian President Vladimir Putin hinted at the possible release of Gershkovich as part of a prisoner swap deal with Washington.
In the cell, the journalist indulges in reading and watching Russian TV channels. He does not give in to despair while he is in prison. On his email account set up by his friends and colleagues, he receives numerous encouraging messages. His contact with the outside world is largely court hearings, where he stands in an area of the courtroom separated by glass from the rest of the crowd. From there, he smiles at reporters. He also had the opportunity to talk with his parents - former citizens of the USSR, who are moving to the States.
Gerskovich graduated from college in the state of Maine and worked for the New York Times, then in 2017 he moved to Moscow and worked for the Moscow Times and then for France Press. His big break came when he became a journalist for the "Wall Street Journal" in January 2022 - a few weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine. Based in London and periodically sent to Moscow for reporting, he was one of the few Western journalists who continued to travel there at the time. Then the reporter writes news about Putin's inner circle, the private military company "Wagner" and the economic situation in Russia.
In 2023, Gershkovich was arrested on charges of collecting confidential information about a factory for tanks used in the war in Ukraine. He, "Wall Street Journal" and the White House deny the charges and say he never worked for the US government, and according to US President Joe Biden his detention is "absolutely illegal".
After months of speculation about the possible release of Gershkovich as part of a prisoner swap deal between Moscow and Washington, it actually happened today.
"I do not rule out the possibility that the person you mentioned, Mr. Gershkovich, will return to his homeland. Why not? It makes no sense to keep him in prison in Russia," Putin said during an interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson.