Military Reporters & Editors stands in solidarity with wrongfully imprisioned journalist who goes on trial in Russia
WASHINGTON, June 24 – A Russian court is meeting behind closed doors this week to decide the fate of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. He has already been jailed for 15 months, falsely accused of trying to obtain state secrets.
This is an outrageous miscarriage of justice, perpetrated by a regime for which freedom of the press is a foreign concept.
Evan Gershkovich was arrested and incarcerated merely for perfoming his duties as a journalist. His imprisonment is a gross abrogation of human rights and common decency.
Now 32, he has been locked up in Moscow’s notorious Lefortovo Prison, according to The Washington Post. The Russian court has repeatedly extended his pre-trial detention period. His trial is scheduled to begin Wednesday, June 26.
Being behind bars for so long is a horrific experience for Evan, his family, and his colleagues. That this bogus trial is being held in secret is a tacit acknowledgment by Russia that there is no merit to these accusations
The U.S. allows Russian journalists to do their jobs unfettered by the fear of arrest or worse, as well it should.
Military Reporters & Editors, an organization dedicated to protecting the rights of journalists, demands that Russia do the same.
It has been too long.
Free Evan Gerskhovich now.
MRE | Military Reporters & Editors Mission
- Advance the public understanding of the military, national security, and homeland defense.
- Represent the interests of working journalists to the government and military.
- Assure journalists have access to places where the U.S. military and its allies operate.
- Provide resources, support. educational and networking opportunities for members, fostering excellence in journalism.
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