For Immediate Release:
Dateline: Indianapolis,
IN
Thursday, August 1, 2024
CONTACT Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins, SPJ National President, ashanti.blaize@gmail.com
Nadia Gordon, SPJ Communications Coordinator, ngordon@hq.spj.org
The Society of Professional Journalists celebrates the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was falsely accused by Russian authorities of spying and sentenced to 16 years in prison. He was the first foreign correspondent charged with espionage in Russia since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the year he was born.
Moscow also released Radio Free Europe/Radio liberty reporter Alsu Kurmasheva, who was wrongly accused of spreading false information about the Russian government and sentenced to 6 ½ years in prison after a secret trial.
The journalists’ release is part of the largest East-West prisoner swap since the Cold War. Gershkovich and more than a dozen others jailed by the Kremlin were exchanged for Russians held in the U.S. and Europe.
“Evan Gershkovich was imprisoned for over a year, and while we are grateful to hear news of his release, he should have never been arrested in the first place. SPJ continues to condemn the unjust imprisonment of journalists around the world who are simply doing their jobs serving as the eyes and ears of the people,” said SPJ National President Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins. “SPJ calls on governments internationally to recognize that it is not a crime for journalists to seek the truth and report it.”
According to the Wall Street Journal, just before noon EDT today at an airport in Turkey’s capital, Ankara Gershkovich and other Americans left a Russian aircraft and were then transported to an aircraft lounge on a Turkish plane.
SPJ champions journalists by recognizing outstanding achievement, fighting to protect press freedom, promoting high ethical standards and educating new generations of emerging professionals. Support excellent journalism and fight for your right to know. Become a member and give to the Legal Defense Fund, First Amendment Forever Fund or SPJ Foundation.
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