Topline
Three months after arresting Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on what his employer and government say are phony charges, Russia has reportedly discussed the possibility of a prisoner swap with the U.S. to free Gershkovich.
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich stands in a glass cage in a courtroom at the Moscow … [+]
Key Facts
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists during a media briefing broadcast to state media Tuesday that Russia was in discussion with the U.S. about a potential prisoner swap with Gershkovich, according to the Journal.
Peskov however declined to provide any more specific details saying “there are certain contacts in this regard, but we do not want to make them public in any way” and “they must continue in complete silence.”
Gershkovic, a 31-year-old American citizen accredited by Russia’s Foreign Ministry to work as a journalist, was arrested on espionage charges March 29 during a reporting trip.
The Journal vehemently denies these charges and the U.S. State Department has designated Gershkovich as wrongfully detained, saying that Gershkovich isn’t a spy and has never worked for the U.S. government.
Gershkovich is being held at Moscow’s Lefortovo prison, according to the Journal.
Key Background
A prisoner swap for Gershkovich would be the second high profile exchange of detainees between the rival world powers in the past year. In December, Russia freed WNBA star Brittney Griner after she spent 10 months in jail on drug charges. In exchange, the U.S. freed Viktor Bout, a notorious Russian arms detailer nicknamed the “Merchant of Death” who had spent 12 years in U.S. prison. That trade generated mixed reaction domestically in the U.S. Many, especially on the right, expressed anger that the U.S. did not also free Paul Whelan, a retired U.S. Marine that had been arrested in Russia in 2018 and convicted on espionage charges in 2020. The State Department has similarly designated Whelan as wrongfully detained. “What about retired marine who has been unjustly detained for years, Paul Whelan? Surely an arms dealer is worth two innocent people? @POTUS,” former U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Kankakee, Ill.) tweeted in December. U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) called it “a bitter pill to swallow” that Whelan remains in custody while the U.S. releases the “Merchant of Death.” In response to these criticisms, a White House official told multiple news organizations: “This was not a situation where we had a choice of which American to bring home. It was a choice between bringing home one particular American, Brittney Griner, or bringing home none.”
What To Watch For
Whether Whelan would be involved in any potential swap. After Griner returned home in December, President Joe Biden expressed regret that Whelan was not included in the trade and said his administration remained committed to ensuring his release, vowing that the U.S. would “never give up” on him. In an interview with CNN in December, Whelan said he was happy Griner was able to return home, but said he was “greatly disappointed that more has not been done to secure my release, especially as the four year anniversary of my arrest is coming up.” The interview took place over a phone call from the penal colony where Whelan is being held in a remote part of Russia.
Further Reading
Russia Discusses Prisoner Swaps With U.S. (The Wall Street Journal)
Exclusive: Paul Whelan tells CNN he is ‘disappointed’ that more has not been done to secure his release (CNN)
Russia Arrests American Journalist On Suspicion Of Spying For U.S. Government (Forbes)
American Reporter Evan Gershkovich’s Detention In Russia Extended Three Months (Forbes)
Evan Gershkovich: Russian Court Rejects U.S. Journalist’s Appeal Against Detention (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/willskipworth/2023/07/04/russia-is-reportedly-open-to-a-prisoner-swap-for-detained-wsj-reporter-evan-gershkovich/