Wall Street Journal correspondent Evan Gershkovich. Russia: the UN is concerned about the verdict of American journalist Evan Gershkovich Human Rights
The UN Human Rights Office said Friday that the Russian court’s sentencing of American journalist Evan Gershkowitz on espionage charges “raises serious concerns about his right to freedom of expression.”
31-year-old American journalist, having received journalistic accreditation, came to Russia in 2017. He worked as a correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, covering topics such as mobilization, sanctions and their impact on the economy and society, and also wrote about the suppression of anti-war activism.
Gershkovich was arrested in March 2023 on charges of espionage during a journalistic trip to Yekaterinburg. He was accused of acting on instructions from US authorities to collect information constituting “state secrets.” Since then, the journalist has been in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison. The day before, the court sentenced him to 16 years in prison in a maximum security colony. in accordance with Russia’s international human rights obligations,” said UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq during a briefing in New York. He recalled that the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention declared the detention of the journalist illegal.
“Of course, we call for the release of all journalists who are detained in Russia solely for doing their work.” , added Hak.