Russia Detains WSJ Reporter on Espionage Charges
The Facts
Russia's Federal Security Service — the successor agency to the Soviet-era KGB — said on Thursday that it had arrested Evan Gershkovich, a 31-year-old US citizen and Wall Street Journal reporter, on espionage charges.
Gershkovich was detained on Wednesday in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg for allegedly collecting "information constituting a state secret about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex."
The Spin
Anti-Russia narrative
Evan Gershkovich is a respected reporter who has worked for a number of reputable institutions. The allegations against him are ridiculous and are simply meant to boost Russia's "exchange pool" of prisoners that it can swap for Russians arrested abroad.
Pro-Russia narrative
The actions of Evan Gershkovich had nothing to do with journalism. Likely acting at the behest of the United States, he was trying to obtain classified information about Russia's military. With a strong case of espionage, he should undoubtedly face a trial and be incarcerated if convicted.
