US requests Russia to release journalist Evan Gershkovich, who has been detained without justification.

The United States has declared that Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has been wrongfully detained by Russia and has called for his immediate release. US officials have been in touch with Gershkovich’s family and the newspaper, and the State Department has contacted Russia regarding the case. Gershkovich was taken into custody on March 29 and charged with espionage, an allegation that he and The Wall Street Journal deny. The swift decision by the State Department indicates the seriousness attached by Washington to the case, which marks the first time Moscow has accused a US journalist of espionage since the Soviet era. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made the determination and called for an end to the Kremlin’s ongoing war against truth and repression of independent voices in Russia. The US special envoy on hostage affairs, Roger Carstens, will handle Gershkovich’s detention, giving more resources to the case.