Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) released a rare joint statement to demand the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who is currently detained in Russia. Russia arrested Gershkovich in late March for alleged spying, sparking widespread condemnation from journalists, the White House, and others. In their joint statement, which was published in the Wall Street Journal, McConnell and Schumer called out Russia for having a “history of unjustly detaining U.S. citizens” in a legal system that has no “transparency” or “justice.”“Let there be no mistake: journalism is not a crime. We demand the baseless, fabricated charges against Mr. Gershkovich be dropped and he be immediately released,” the statement reads. We demand the baseless, fabricated charges against Evan Gershkovich be dropped and he be immediately released by the Russian government.

Source: Wall Street Journal April 07, 2023 19:03 UTC