Is Evan Gershkovich’s Arrest the End of Free Press in Russia?

Russian authorities recently detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. They accused Gershkovich of being a spy and have held him on espionage charges since March 29. But Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that he believes Gershkovich is being wrongfully detained.

Evan’s arrest is Russia’s latest attempt to intimidate foreign correspondents reporting in the country. Those constant threats, and now the very real risk of arrest, are common tactics. They make it easier for the Russian government to spread propaganda to its citizens and harder for the rest of the world to understand what’s happening inside Russia. The Kremlin’s actions make it nearly impossible to hear from the Russian people directly.

To help us understand Evan’s case and Russia’s control over the foreign press, we have Gulnoza Said and Oystein Bogen. Gulnoza is the Europe and Central Asia program coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists, a nonprofit organization that promotes press freedom worldwide. Oystein is the D.C. Bureau Chief and Lead Correspondent for the Norwegian network TV 2. He spent years reporting from inside Russia and was detained six times while covering the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014. 

Show Notes: 

• Øystein Bogen (@oysteinbogen)
• Gulnoza Said (@gulnozas)
• 8:34 The Wall Street Journal’s reporting on conditions inside Lefortovo prison 
• 18:15 The Committee to Protect Journalists’ research on attacks on reporters in Russia 
• 32:50 Evan Gershkovich’s Wall Street Journal reporting and how to support his case
• 33:10 NYU’s American Journalism Online Program
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• Music: “The Shadow Collectors Daughter” by “Night Drift” from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/night-drift/the-shadow-collectors-daughter (License code: LRY4QBATMUIF3UKU)