Over 300 Foreign Journalists Demand Release of Jailed WSJ Reporter in Russia

OVER 300 foreign correspondents have called for the release of jailed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in an open letter to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov published Monday. 

Among the signatories are journalists with decades of experience reporting from Russia, some having arrived in Moscow as far back as the early 1960s, while others have left the country in recent weeks. 

In total, the signatories represent media outlets from 22 different countries. Among the signatories are also 40 former and current employees of The Moscow Times.  

“We have all worked in Russia as foreign correspondents, some for a few months, others for decades. We are shocked and appalled by the arrest of our colleague Evan Gershkovich and the charges brought against him,” the letter reads. 

Accused of espionage for the United States, Gershkovich was detained while reporting in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg on March 29. The journalist’s defense team