It’s been one year since Princeton native and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was arrested in Russia on espionage charges. The U.S. Department of State, the Journal, and Gershkovich’s family and friends immediately called it a wrongful detainment and demanded his release, yet a Russian court has repeatedly denied his appeals. If convicted, Gershkovich could face up to 20 years in a Russian prison.
To mark the anniversary, NJ Spotlight News spoke with Michael McFaul, U.S Ambassador to Russia under the Obama administration, about how this could play out and Gershkovich’s prospects.
“I most certainly have heard periodically from people in the Biden administration about negotiations about potential swaps,” McFaul said. “There was negotiations over [Russian dissident] Alexei Navalny before he was murdered…and at one point from what I’ve been told that included Americans as well. . . I do know that this is a top priority for the Biden administration and they continue to look for ways.
“Do we really want to have other people die in jail, like Alexei Navalny did?” McFaul continued. “I don’t see how in any way, shape, or form it would be in Putin’s personal interest, let alone Russia’s national interest, for that to happen to Americans like Evan. So maybe that gives just some slight more impetus [to] take negotiations about a swap more seriously.”
