Wall Street Journal correspondent Evan Gershkovich. UN experts call on Russia to immediately release journalist Evan Gershkovich Human Rights
UN experts on human rights in Russia and freedom of speech have condemned the ongoing arbitrary detention of Evan Gershkowitz, a 32-year-old Wall Street Journal reporter and US citizen who has been detained without evidence for a year on the charges brought against him.
No evidence presented
“Russian authorities have yet to provide any credible evidence to support Gershkovich’s blatant espionage charges,” experts said.
They recalled that Gershkovich, who was arrested in Yekaterinburg on March 29, 2023 and has since been in the Moscow Lefortovo prison, has been charged with unfounded espionage. Russian authorities have kept Gershkovich in custody for a year without any evidence or a fair trial by a competent, impartial and independent court.
Russian authorities until have yet to provide any credible evidence to support Gershkovich’s blatant espionage charges
Experts noted that the Moscow City Court on Tuesday (March 26) extended the detention of Evan Gershkovich for another three months, until June 30, 2024. “This fits into a well-documented pattern of Russian authorities using politically motivated administrative and criminal charges to repeatedly extend pretrial detention while targeting dissidents and independent voices opposed to Russia’s war on Ukraine,” they said.
Pre-trial detention – more than a year
“We are deeply concerned that even after a year, Evan Gershkovitch has not been brought to justice. When pre-trial detention lasts more than one year without trial, it raises serious concerns about the presumption of innocence and the overall fairness of the judicial process,” the experts said. They say anyone arrested or detained on criminal charges must be tried “within a reasonable time” or released.
A troubling trend
“Gershkovich’s arrest highlights a worrying trend in Russia, which has seen an unprecedented rise in the number of journalists, both Russian and foreign, imprisoned for their professional activities,” experts say.
They noted that since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the number of imprisoned journalists in Russia has reached an all-time high, underscoring the government’s intention to control “the narrative both domestically, and abroad.”
Experts also noted that, according to the latest data, 12 of the 17 foreign journalists detained around the world are in custody in Russia.
Attack on freedom of speech
“Gershkovich’s detention symbolizes a general attack on freedom of speech and journalism in the Russian Federation, especially with regard to independent coverage of Russia’s war against Ukraine,” the experts said. “As journalists face imprisonment and threats, the public’s access to independent and critical information is diminishing,” they say. “We call on the international community to support independent journalists who courageously do their work both in Russia and abroad.”
12 of the 17 foreign journalists detained around the world are in custody in Russia
Experts noted that at least 30 journalists are known to have been detained and are facing long terms of imprisonment, including on trumped-up charges of “disseminating false information” and “discrediting” the actions of the Russian armed forces.
Alsu Kurmasheva
Since October 18, another journalist with US citizenship, Alsou Kurmasheva, has been arbitrarily detained in Russia. Kurmasheva, who worked for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, is accused of violating Russia’s “foreign agent” law and may face additional charges.
“Gershkovich , Kurmasheva and all other journalists jailed for reporting from Russia must be immediately and unconditionally released,” the experts said, strongly condemning the Russian authorities’ flagrant violations of international human rights obligations.
UN Special Rapporteurs
The statement was signed by Mariana Katsarova, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation, and Irene Kahn, Special Rapporteur on the the right to freedom of opinion and expression.
Special rapporteurs and working groups are part of the so-called special procedures of the Human Rights Council. They are not UN staff and are independent of any government or organization. They serve in an individual capacity and are not paid for their work.