Freedom of Speech? What’s That?

By Isabel Caldis

This month marks the 30th anniversary of World Press Freedom Day. Since the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed May 3rd World Press Freedom Day in 1993, substantial progress has been made toward more freedom of expression across the globe. Sadly, the case of Evan Gershkovich, a reporter who grew up in New Jersey, reminds the world that it cannot take Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states, “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers” (UN), as a given and needs to continue fighting to secure this rudimentary civil liberty.

Born on October 26, 1991, to two Soviet-born Jewish exiles, Evan Gershkovich was raised in Princeton, New Jersey. He graduated from Bowdoin College in 2014 and has been working for the Wall Street Journal since 2022, for which he covers Russia, Ukraine, and the former Soviet Union. Most recently, Mr. Gershkovich was covering the Russian mercenary group, Wagner Group, in Yekaterinburg, which is located in the Ural Mountains. These mountains also happen to be home to a number of Russian military factories.

The last time the WSJ heard from Gershkovich was on Wednesday, March 29th, shortly before 4 P.M., when he arrived at a steakhouse in Yekaterinburg. Hours later, the Journal was frantically trying to contact Moscow, as Mr. Gershkovich was not answering his phone, and they had gotten news of security agents taking a diner from the same Yekaterinburg steakhouse that Mr. Gershkovich was dining at. At 10:35 A.M. on Thursday, March 30th, Moscow time, Russia’s state news agency formally declared that Mr. Gershkovich had been detained by the Federal Security Bureau (the successor to the KGB) on accusations of espionage. According to the FSB, Mr. Gershkovich was, “acting on an assignment from the American side, was gathering information classified as a state secret about the activity of one of the enterprises of Russia’s military-industrial complex” (NPR). If found guilty, he faces up to twenty years in prison. The Wall Street Journal and the Biden administration vehemently deny these claims and demand Mr. Gershkovich’s immediate release.

There is, unfortunately, very little hope for his release, given that Russian espionage trials are conducted in secret and almost always end in a conviction. This is not to say that there have not been any attempts to secure his freedom, as Mr. Gershkovich’s legal team offered bail of 50 million roubles ($614,000) or an alternative option of putting him under house arrest. The Russian court rejected these offers, as well as an appeal Mr. Gershkovich made against his pre-trial detention on April 18th. This was the first time he had been seen in public for weeks. Gershkovich’s detention, the Russian courts have ruled, is to last until May 29th.

Gershkovich’s detention has accelerated the rate at which Western news agencies are withdrawing their reporters from Russia. According to experts, Putin has most likely ordered his arrest to provoke anti-western hysteria, discourage free press in Russia, and keep the Russian citizens in the dark regarding what is truly happening in Ukraine, thereby making them more susceptible to anti-Ukraine propaganda. It is also likely that Putin wishes to use Mr. Gershkovich in a prisoner swap, reminiscent of the swap of Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer, for women’s basketball star Britney Griner last year. According to John J. Sullivan, who served as the U.S.-Moscow ambassador until last year, “The fact that Russia has charged him with espionage, rather than a common criminal offense, suggests the Kremlin will want a big prize in return for his release” (WSJ). It is currently unknown whom Mr. Gershkovich could be swapped for at this point in time. This is the first time Russia has brought a spy case against an overseas reporter since the Cold War. The last reporter to face such charges was Nicholas Daniloff in 1986. In that case, Moscow’s motive was obvious, as three days before Mr. Daniloff’s arrest, the US government detained a Soviet employee of the UN in an FBI sting. After three weeks of intense negotiations, Mr. Daniloff, who denied the espionage allegation, was exchanged for the Russian.

In pursuit of expressing the freedom of speech, Mr. Gershkovich gave up his freedom. He is a true hero of free speech, fearlessly holding his head up high though he knew the danger. He is a role model for anyone who values the truth, and all of us at Vital Signs respect his sacrifice to promote freedom of the press.

Works Cited

Cullison, Alan, and Warren P. Strobel. “Biden Calls on Russia to Release Journal Reporter.” The Wall Street Journal, 31 Mar. 2023, www.wsj.com/ articles/u-s-russia-rift-complicates-case-of-arrested-journal-reporter-585946be?mod=article_inline. Accessed 1 May 2023.

N/A. United Nations, www.un.org/en/about-us/ universal-declaration-of-human-rights. Accessed 1 May 2023.

NPR Staff. “The U.S. condemns Russia’s arrest of a Wall Street Journal reporter.” NPR, 30 Mar. 2023, www.npr.org/2023/03/30/1166984608/russia-detains-wall-street-journal-reporter-accuse-espionage. Accessed 1 May 2023.

Parkinson, Joe, and Drew Hinshaw. “Evan Gershkovich Loved Russia, the Country That Turned on Him.”

The Wall Street Journal, 31 Mar. 2023, www.wsj.com/ articles/wsj-reporter-evan-gershkovich-detained-russia-cd03b0f3. Accessed 30 Apr. 2023.

Pinon, Natasha. “Russia detains Wall Street Journal reporter, plans to hold him until late May.”

CNBC, 30 Mar. 2023, www.cnbc.com/2023/03/30/ wall-street-journal-reporter-evan-gershkovich-detained-russia.html. Accessed 1 May 2023.

Rosenberg, Steve, and Chloe Kim. “Evan Gershkovich: US journalist arrested in Russia appears in court.” British Broadcasting Channel, 18 Apr. 2023, www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65310529#. Accessed 1 May 2023.

Simmons, Ann M. “Russia Could Consider Swap for WSJ Reporter Evan Gershkovich After Trial Ends.”

The Wall Street Journal, 13 Apr. 2023, www.wsj.com/ articles/russia-could-consider-swap-for-evan-gershkovich-after-trial-ends-80d74783. Accessed 1 May 2023.