Evan Gershkovich release

The Society of Editors, NUJ and IFJ have welcomed the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in what has been described as the biggest prisoner exchange between Russia and the West since the Cold War.

Gershkovich, who had been detained in Russia since March 2023 and was last month sentenced to 16 years imprisonment on what were widely regarded as trumped-up espionage charges was released on Thursday 1 August 2024 alongside 16 prisoners including US Marine veteran Paul Whelan, Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva and Russian-British activist Vladimir Kara-Murza.

Responding to the release of Gershkovich, Dawn Alford, executive director of the Society of Editors said: “The release of Evan Gershkovich as well as other prisoners detained on trumped-up charges is both hugely welcome and overdue. We are hugely relieved for them as well as their families and friends.

“As we have reiterated throughout Gershkovich’s detention, journalism is not a crime, and no journalist should ever be arrested or lose their freedom simply for doing their job. The Russian government must do more to respect press freedom and the rights of journalists worldwide to report without fear or favour.”

The historic prisoner exchange is believed to have been 18 months in the making with the swap taking place on the runway at Ankara airport. In exchange for Gershkovich and other prisoners detained in Russia, eight Russians were released from prisons in the US, Norway, Germany, Poland and Slovenia.

Responding to Gershkovich’s release, the FT reported that his employer the Wall Street Journal had welcomed the decision while condemning the actions on the Russian government.

It said: “Evan is free and on his way home. He was released today in a multilateral prisoner exchange that took place in Ankara, Turkey. We are overwhelmed with relief and elated for Evan and his family, as well as for the others who were released.

“At the same time, we condemn in the strongest terms Vladimir Putin’s regime in Russia, which orchestrated Evan’s 491-day wrongful imprisonment based on sham accusations and a fake trial as part of an all-out assault on the free press and truth.”

Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ general secretary, said: “The release of Evan together with journalists Alsu Kurmasheva, Vladimir Kara-Murza and Pablo González is greatly welcomed, and must be a huge relief for those who have been incarcerated on trumped-up espionage charges, and also their families. Putin’s tactics have made it very dangerous to be a journalist in Russia and these charges are a deliberate tactic to suppress press freedom. The NUJ, the IFJ and European Federation of Journalists will continue to campaign for the release of the 137 other journalists currently behind bars in Europe.”

Anthony Bellanger, IFJ general secretary said: “We are truly relieved by the release of our colleagues after months, and in some cases years, in detention, during which the IFJ has been campaigning for their freedom. At the same time, we strongly condemn the Kremlin’s hostage-taking tactics involving journalists for political ends. Journalism is not a crime, and journalists must be allowed to do their job without fear of repression”.