The designation elevates the case of Evan Gershkovich in the U.S. government hierarchy and means that a dedicated State Department office will take the lead on securing his release.
WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovitch arrested in Russia: Paul Whelan's brother reacts | LiveNOW from FOX
"Today, Secretary Blinken made a determination that Evan Gershkovich is wrongfully detained by Russia," the department said in a statement. "Journalism is not a crime. We condemn the Kremlin’s continued repression of independent voices in Russia, and its ongoing war against the truth." The State Department said the U.S. government will provide all appropriate support to Gershkovich and his family and again called for Russia to release him as well as another detained American citizen, Paul Whelan.Monday's statement from Blinken was the first public comment on the case since Russian news agencies reported on Friday that Gershkovich had been charged with espionage and had entered a formal denial.
In the Russian legal system, the filing of charges and a response from the accused represent the formal start of a criminal probe, initiating what could be a long and secretive Russian judicial process.
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