WASHINGTON – US Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy saw American Evan Gershkovich on Monday, the second visit by Biden administration officials since the Wall Street Journal reporter was arrested in March.
American consular officials, including Tracy, were last able to see Gershkovich on April 17, about two weeks after he was arrested by Russian government officials. Tracy’s visit comes just a week after a Moscow court ruled that Gershkovich should remain in prison until August 30.
“Ambassador Tracy reports that Mr. Gershkovich is in good health and remains strong, despite his circumstances,” a State Department spokesperson told NBC News. “US Embassy officials will continue to provide all appropriate support to Mr. Gershkovich and his family, and we expect the Russian authorities to provide continued consular access.”
The department’s spokesman called on the Russian Federation to release Gershkovich, and reiterated that the charges against the WSJ reporter are baseless.
“We also call for the immediate release of Paul Whelan,” added the spokesman. “Mr Whelan has been wrongfully detained in Russia for over 4 years. Both men deserve to go home to their families now.”
Gershkovich is being held in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison and was first arrested on March 30 on suspicion of “espionage on the interests of the US government,” Russia’s Federal Security Service said in a reported statement by Russian state media. Russian authorities have not offered any evidence to support the charges.
During an interview with NBC’s Tom Llamas last week, Roger Carstens, the president’s special envoy for hostage matters, said it “remains to be seen” how recent events in Russia with the group of mercenaries Wagner and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“If there’s one surprise I’ve had in this business in three and a half years of doing this job, it’s that the other side is always willing to talk to us almost under a lot of tension. And there have been times when we’ve disagreed with Russia, and yet we were still able to get a release from Trevor Reid and Brittney Griner,” Carstens said during a panel discussion at the Aspen Ideas Festival. “So my thought is that even though the Wagner group might introduce some chaos and ambiguity into the system, I think we’ll still find a way to have that conversation and bring Evan home.”
Carstens noted that he believes Gershkovich’s case will likely move forward “along the lines that we saw with Brittney Griner, Trevor Reed and Paul Whelan.”
The Biden administration secured the release of Reed and Griner last year from Russia.
