On Wednesday (27 March) scores of people will take part in a run which is designed to highlight the issue worldwide. The “Support for Press Freedom!” run in Brussels, in particular, seeks to promote the case of a journalist who is currently detained in Russia.
Wednesday, March 27, marks one year since Even Gershkovich was what his supporters insist was his “wrongful imprisonment for doing his job” as a reporter with The Wall Street Journal. A campaign spokesman, “Thats 52 weeks deprived of his freedom.” The spokesman added, “Evan has been in Russia’s notorious Lefortovo prison since March 2023, largely cut off from the world. He spends 90% of his day in a small cell. The State Department has declared Evan wrongfully detained and President Biden has promised his family he would bring Evan home. A Russian court on Jan. 26 extended his pre-trial detention for another two months. It is unclear when he will face trial.”
To show support for Evan, people are asked to join the WSJ for a 5km run (or walk) to maintain awareness of what they call “this great injustice.” They will gather on Wednesday at 9:30 am under the arches of Brussels’ Parc Cinquantenaire and aim for two laps around the park. If their schedule is tight, people are asked to join for a group photo at the start. Gershkovich is a Wall Street Journal reporter who was detained in Russia one year ago, on March 29, while on a reporting assignment. He is the American-born son of Soviet-era emigres to the U.S. Evan learned Russian from his parents and built a career as a journalist focused on the region. He joined the Journal in January 2022 and before that reported from Moscow for Agence France Press and the Moscow Times.
Dan Michaels, WSJ Brussels Bureau Chief, said, “He’s a gifted journalist who has reported extensively on Russia, illuminating developments on the ground at a crucial time. “The Journal is doing everything it can to bring Evan home. Evan’s friends and colleagues appreciate your support in keeping his profile high and standing with us for a free press and freedom of expression”. “Evan was detained by Russia’s Federal Security Service in the city of Yekaterinburg while on a reporting assignment in the country. He had full press credentials from Russia`s foreign ministry. He was accused of espionage, making him the first American detained on such a charge since the Cold War.”
Photo by brotiN biswaS: https://www.pexels.com/photo/selective-focus-photography-of-magazines-518543/
