From NOTICE News Daily for March 31, 2023
An American reporter for the Wall Street Journal was arrested in Russia and is being detained on charges of spying. We break down what it all means.
TRANSCRIPT
A Wall Street Journal reporter based in Moscow, 31-year-old Evan Gershkovich, has been accused of being an American spy.
The Russian government claims Gershkovich was caught trying to obtain classified information about a military factory there.
The Wall Street Journal vehemently denies the allegations – and we should note – Russia has been tightening censorship laws since its invasion of Ukraine last year.
It’s believed to be the first time an American journalist has been held in Russia as an accused spy since the end of the Cold War – and marks a new low in relations between the two countries.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said this…
SOT: “It’s an unparalleled feeling honestly because there’s just nothing like it, being able to do something that people don’t think that young people can do.”
It underscores the dangers reporters take on while covering autocratic governments, where one person has near absolute power.
Reporters Without Borders said the number of journalists being detained worldwide reached an all-time high last year, with over 500 reporters locked up for doing their job.
Russia has a long history of detaining journalists who cover stories at odds with the government’s official narrative, but it’s unusual for them to detain an American reporter.
He’s now facing a prison sentence of up to 20 years.
