According to State Department spokesperson Antony Blinken, the United States is “intensely engaged with the Russians” in the effort to secure the release of imprisoned Wall Street Journal (WSJ) writer Evan Gershkovich.
It’s a gloomy day, for the reasons that my alter ego described only a few minutes ago, Blinken remarked in response to a question about attempts to release imprisoned Evan Gershkovich. We are aware that journalists are increasingly under attack, and this attack takes many different forms.
At a World Press Freedom Day event hosted by the Washington Post, Blinken gave a speech.
“That’s now shown itself very strongly in Evan’s arrest and imprisonment in Moscow – severely, unfairly – for carrying out his duties. To achieve what Russia is required to offer, namely consular access, which they have already granted once but have not done again, we are actively engaged with the Russians to secure his freedom and quick release.
He said that US Ambassador Lynne Tracy had the opportunity to meet Evan around ten days ago; she described Gerschkovich as being “incredibly strong of mind and spirit,” which is a really potent quality in this circumstance.
Blinken asserted that we are working both broadly to try to deter but also at the same time to try to secure the release of those who are being wrongfully detained. He claimed that Russia, like some other countries, is wrongfully detaining people, using them as political pawns, using them as leverage in a practise that is absolutely unacceptable.
When asked whether he talked with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, State Secretary Blinken said, “I spoke to Foreign Minister Lavrov immediately after Evan was arrested. Since then, I haven’t spoken to him. I was quite explicit about the need to release Evan. I emphasised the need of obtaining consular access. After that, we did have consular access. We are actively working on these situations via a conduit that President Biden and President Putin established some time ago.
“I wish I could claim that there was a clear path ahead at this very time. Although we don’t currently have that, we are constantly working to acquire it, he continued.
According to the statement, before Blinken had an opportunity to respond to those inquiries, a member of the audience stopped him and inquired about Julian Assange.
Someone in the crowd said, “We can’t use this day without demanding Julian Assange’s freedom.”
“Julian Assange must be (inaudible) by the Biden government. Stop Julian Assange’s extradition request, someone in the crowd demanded once again.
According to the statement, Blinken didn’t provide any responses to these queries.