The Value Of The Pression On The Release Of Wall Street Journal Journalists As Politicization, Russia: Fate Is Determined By The Court

JAKARTA - Russian Foreign Minister asked Washington not to politicize the detention of Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich, as his US counterpart urged the release of journalists charged with spying, in Sunday's phone call.

Russia's federal security agency, FSB, on Thursday last week announced the arrest of Gershkovich, accusing him of gathering information about a Russian defense company that is a state secret.

The Wall Street Journal denied Gershkovich was carrying out spying activities, while the White House called espionage allegations, which could be subject to up to 20 years in prison, "concern."

"Minister (Antony) Blinken expressed great concern in the United States for the detention of Russia's unacceptable arrest of a US citizen journalist. The Minister called for his immediate release," the US State Department said in a statement not naming Gershkovich. April 3.

A US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the statement did refer to Gershkovich. Under US law, the State Department is generally prohibited from speaking about US citizens unless he has signed a privacy statement.

Meanwhile, Russia's Foreign Ministry said Minister Sergei Lavrov told his colleagues the politicization of the case by Washington was unacceptable, while Gershkovich's fate would be determined by the court.

He reiterated Russia's statement that the journalist was "wet-arrested" last week, although there is no strong evidence to support the claim.

"Blinken's concern is focused on the need to respect the decisions of Russian authorities, which were taken in accordance with the laws and international obligations of the Russian Federation," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

"It is emphasized that it is unacceptable for officials in Washington and Western media to spark an uproar with a clear purpose to bring political color to this case," the ministry added, adding that Foreign Minister Blinken was the one who started the conversation.

Direct conversations between Foreign Minister Blinken and Foreign Minister Lavrov have rarely occurred since Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The two spoke face-to-face for the first time since the invasion on the sidelines of a meeting in New Delhi on March 2.

Separately, Wall Street Journal Editor-in-Chief Emma Tucker condemned Gershkovich's arrest and Russia's accusations of the journalist. However, he felt relieved after Blinken and Lavrov spoke.

"It is total outrage that he was arrested like this... what Russian authorities say is nonsense," he told CBS' "Face the Nation" program.

At a closed hearing last Thursday, Gershkovich was placed in pre-trial detention until May 29 at the Lefortovo prison, Moscow.

Many Western analysts and some Russian analysts argue the arrest was Moscow's move to secure a bargaining position with Washington, four months after the famous prisoner swap, in which Moscow exchanged US basketball star Brittney Griner with Russian arms trader convict Viktor Bout.