The FSB of the Russian Federation announced the detention of Evan Gershkovich, a correspondent for the American newspaper The Wall Street Journal, in Yekaterinburg. As explained in the Russian special service, a journalist from the United States is suspected of espionage.
Illegal activities of U.S. citizen Evan Gershkovich, born in 1991, accredited at the Russian Foreign Ministry, correspondent of the Moscow bureau of the American newspaper The Wall Street Journal, suspected of spying for the American government
– stated in the official press release of the FSB of the Russian Federation.
As explained in the department, Evan Gershkovich, on instructions from the United States, collected information constituting a state secret. The subject of interest of the American journalist was the activity of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex. While trying to obtain secret information, an American was detained in Yekaterinburg.
As emphasized by the FSB of Russia, a criminal case has been initiated against Evan Gershkovich under the article “Espionage”. Sanctions under this article provide for punishment in the form of imprisonment for up to twenty years.
Note that Evan Gershkovich has been living in Moscow for about five years, covering events in Russia and Ukraine.
Despite the fact that the FSB of the Russian Federation does not provide details of the detention, some media have already reported that the journalist was detained at the Bukowski Grill restaurant on Karl Liebknecht Street.