America Works to Determine the Legality of Russia's Detention of Wall Street Journalist

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Wednesday that the United States has begun an official process to determine whether Russia's detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich is an "illegal" action. Blinken stated at a press conference in Brussels, "This is something we are studying very carefully, but also urgently. I will allow this process to reach a conclusion." He added, "In my view, there is no doubt that Russia is holding Gershkovich illegally, which is exactly what I told Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov when I spoke with him over the weekend, and I emphasized the need for Evan's immediate release." If the situation is determined to be "illegal detention," it means that the case will move from the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs to the Office of the Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs, allowing the government to allocate more resources for Gershkovich's release.