US urges Russia to free 'wrongfully detained' journalist

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had told reporters last week that he felt the detention was unjust

The United States on Monday determined that Russia had wrongfully detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and urged his immediate release, stepping up pressure on his behalf.

The formal decision by the State Department on Gershkovich, who was taken into custody on March 29, was unusually swift and indicated the seriousness attached by Washington to the case, the first time Moscow has accused a US journalist of espionage since the Soviet era.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken "made a determination that Evan Gershkovich is wrongfully detained by Russia," State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said.

"We call for the Russian Federation to immediately release Mr. Gershkovich," Patel said in a statement."

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"Journalism is not a crime. We condemn the Kremlin's continued repression of independent voices in Russia, and its ongoing war against the truth," Patel said.

There had been little doubt that the United States would reach the determination on Gershkovich, with Blinken telling reporters last week that he felt the detention was unjust.

But US officials said they were required to work through a legal process and show due diligence on the case.

In practical terms, the determination means that Gershkovich's detention will be handled by the US special envoy on hostage affairs, Roger Carstens, giving more resources to the case.

Gershkovich was detained in Yekaterinburg, some 1,800 kilometers (1,100 miles) east of Moscow. Russian news agencies said Friday he was charged with espionage, an allegation denied by Gershkovich and The Wall Street Journal and which the White House called "ridiculous."