On March 29, 2023, Evan Gershkovich, a journalist in Moscow for the past six years, was arrested by Russia’s Federal Security Service. Russian investigators accused him of acting on instructions from the US government, and “trying to obtain secret information” at the time of his arrest (ABC News). Gershkovich has pleaded not guilty, and is facing up to 20 years in prison if convicted in this case, which was denoted by the Russian government as “top secret” (ABC News).

Foreign policy experts speculate Gershkovich’s arrest was prompted by political motivations, as it came at a time of increased tension between the U.S. and Russia due to the war in Ukraine. He is the first American journalist detained in Russia on espionage charges since the end of the Cold War.

Once news of the charges broke, leaders of the Senate issued a rare bipartisan statement demanding the release of Gershkovich, declaring that “journalism is not a crime” (The Guardian). Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell wrote, “We strongly condemn the wrongful detention of U.S. citizen and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and demand the immediate release of this internationally known and respected independent journalist. He was accredited by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to work as a journalist in Russia, and Russian authorities have failed to present any credible evidence to justify their fabricated charges” (The Guardian).

While there is a possibility that the U.S. sent him as a spy, it is more likely that Russia arrested him out of paranoia, hoping to prevent their secrets from being leaked. Gershkovich has been in Russia for only six years — a relatively short period of time — and there is no concrete evidence to support the charges brought against him.