Americans are being held hostage all around the world. The Biden admin doesn’t seem to care.
And now Joe Biden’s treason has terrible consequences for American hostage in Russia.
On Joe Biden’s watch, a number of Americans have been hopeless in their hopes of getting freed from their terrible hostage situations. Hamas literally took eight Americans hostages when they launched a disgusting attack on Israel back on October 7th, 2023. The fate of those hostages has been tragic so far, with three suspected to be dead and five possibly alive.
Outside of those hostages, there’s another high-profile one that shouldn’t be nearly as complicated to free from being held unfairly against his will. In 2023, Russia arrested a Wall Street Journal reporter, Evan Gershkovich, on charges of espionage. It was the first time an American was held hostage on espionage charges by Russian authorities since the conclusion of the Cold War. Not a good look for the Biden administration.
Early on, Mr. Gershkovich said that he was hopeful he would be let free and would make it back to America sooner rather than later with just a little cooperation between the American and Russian authorities. Unfortunately, that’s not happened at all. He’s still stuck there. Not only that, but it’s getting worse for the poor man.
Wall Street Journal Reporter Evan Gershkovich Sentenced to 16 Years in Russian Prison on Espionage Charges
On Friday, Russian authorities convicted Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on dubious espionage charges, sentencing him to 16 years in prison following a brief trial.
Gershkovich, 32, was arrested last year in Russia, where he had been working as a journalist. Both the Wall Street Journal and the U.S. government have strongly denied the espionage allegations, emphasizing the lack of public evidence presented by Russian authorities. The guilty verdict was delivered after three days of secretive hearings, which many believe were predetermined.
In a joint statement, Wall Street Journal publisher Almar Latour and editor-in-chief Emma Tucker condemned the conviction, calling it a “disgraceful, sham” and highlighting the 478 days Gershkovich has already spent in prison. “Evan has been wrongfully detained, separated from his loved ones, and prevented from doing his job as a journalist,” they stated. “We will continue to press for Evan’s release and support his family. Journalism is not a crime, and this injustice must end now.”
Gershkovich was detained in March 2023 while on a reporting trip in Yekaterinburg, marking the first instance of a U.S. journalist being arrested on espionage charges in Russia since the Cold War. Over the past year, he has been held in the notoriously harsh Lefortovo prison and was recently transferred to a facility in Yekaterinburg for his trial.
Despite not admitting guilt, the court asserted that “the totality of the evidence presented” warranted a guilty verdict.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has indicated a potential interest in a prisoner exchange involving Gershkovich. During an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, Putin hinted at such negotiations, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed earlier this week that discussions were ongoing.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov declined to comment on a possible prisoner swap on Friday, according to Russian state media. Meanwhile, U.S. State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel reiterated the U.S. government’s stance that Gershkovich is wrongfully detained, stating, “Russia has provided no evidence of a crime and has failed to justify Evan’s continued detention.”
In addition to Gershkovich, Russian authorities are also detaining U.S. Marine veteran Paul Whelan, whom the U.S. government similarly believes to be wrongfully detained.
President Joe Biden issued a statement following the sentencing, declaring, “Evan Gershkovich received a sentence of 16 years in a Russian prison despite having committed no crime. He was targeted because he is a journalist and an American. We are pushing hard for Evan’s release and will continue to do so.”
Biden also emphasized his administration’s commitment to securing the release and safe return of all Americans wrongfully detained abroad, including Paul Whelan.
The lethargy to secure Mr. Gershkovich’s freedom seems odd to Americans considering he was able to quickly secure the freedom of WNBA player Brittany Greiner (who actually did commit a crime by proliferating drugs in Russia) by trading for her by releasing one of the most dangerous individuals in the world known as Viktor Bout, the Merchant of Death.
Yeah, that totally seems like a fair trade. Meanwhile, Gershkovich has done absolutely nothing wrong and the Biden administration is dragging its feet while just talking the talk without walking the walk.
Be sure to stay tuned to the Conservative Column for more updates in this story.
