Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov stated today, Wednesday, that the U.S. characterization of The Wall Street Journal correspondent Evan Gershkovich as "wrongfully detained" is "unfounded" from Russia’s perspective and will not alter its approach to his case.
The U.S. State Department had declared Gershkovich "wrongfully detained," potentially paving the way for negotiations on his exchange, as reported by the WSJ. Ryabkov noted that Russia is currently considering allowing U.S. diplomats to visit Gershkovich, who has had very limited communication with his legal team since his detention two weeks ago. However, he criticized U.S. efforts to "pressure" Moscow on the matter.
He continued, "We will not tolerate any attempts to exert pressure on us, and the designation of this person in Washington holds no significance. We will act according to our needs and our internal laws that apply to this situation, and nothing more."
Additionally, President Biden spoke with Gershkovich's family by phone yesterday, stating that Washington is doing "everything it can" to secure his release.
A Moscow court is set to hold a session next week to consider an appeal from Gershkovich's legal team regarding the ruling that has him detained in the Lefortovo prison in Moscow until at least May 29 ahead of his trial.
Moscow has still not granted U.S. Embassy officials permission to visit detained WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich, reflecting a pattern consistent with other cases of American citizens imprisoned in Russia.
