Russia's main security agency on Thursday detained a reporter of the Wall Street Journal allegedly for espionage. The reporter, Evan Gershkovich, is part of WSJ's Moscow bureau.
According to reports, Russia's Federal Security Service detained Gershkovich at Ekaterinburg while he was allegedly trying to get classified information. The Guardian quoting the agency reported the FSB alleged Gershkovich was collecting classified information about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex.
The WSJ in a statement said, “The Wall Street Journal vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich. We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family.”
Reuters quoting an FSB statement reported the agency has opened a criminal case against Gershkovich for suspected espionage. The FSB statement did provide particulars about the military factory but said it detained the journalist while he was to procure secret information. “It has been established that E. Gershkovich, acting on an assignment from the American side, was gathering information classified as a state secret about the activity of one of the enterprises of Russia's military-industrial complex," FSB said in a statement.
Reuters quoted Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying that Gershkovich's activities in Yekaterinburg were "not related to journalism" and that it was not the first time a foreign journalism role had been used as a cover for other activities.
According to reports, Gershkovich would be taken to Lefortovo prison in Moscow, an FSB pre-trial detention facility. Gershkovich previously worked for The Moscow Times newspaper and at Agence-France Presse news agency before joining the Wall Street Journal's Moscow bureau in January, 2022.
