Wonderful news!
Evan Gershkovich, the Moscow correspondent of the Wall Street Journal, is a free man after being released from jail in Russia.
Evan should never have been jailed in the first place. He was wrongfully arrested, convicted of spying without any evidence and held hostage by Vladimir Putin until his release as part of a historic prisoner swap. Journalism is not a crime!
We are grateful to Emma Tucker, editor-in-chief of the Wall Street Journal, and her colleagues for their immense efforts on Evan’s behalf. Tucker was the keynote speaker at the Annual Distinguished Marie Colvin Lecture in March 2024 on the one-year anniversary of Evan’s detention. The Colvin Center is proud to have played a part in highlighting Evan’s wrongful imprisonment.
We also want to thank our friends and colleagues for coming to hear Jay Conti, the general counsel and executive vice-president of Dow Jones, tell us first-hand about the Wall St Journal’s efforts to keep the public spotlight on Evan, while working tirelessly behind the scenes to secure his release. Your support for Evan was a vital contribution to the enormous efforts to free him.
Evan was freed with former US Marine, Paul Whelan, journalist Alsu Kumasheva and Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian dissident and Pulitzer-prize winning columnist. You can read more about their release in the Wall Street Journal here. I also strongly recommend this gripping piece about the secret negotiations to free Evan and the bravery and determination shown by his fiercest advocate, his mother. It is journalism at its finest. We hope to hear more from Evan in person.
Thank you so much for your support for all that we do. Welcome back, Evan! It is wonderful to have him home.
Sarah Baxter
Director, Marie Colvin Center for International Reporting
Visiting Professor, International Journalism
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