Geneva, United Nations human rights experts have called for the immediate release of Evan Gershkovich, a journalist for the Wall Street Journal detained in Russia on charges of espionage, criticizing his continued detention as arbitrary and lacking credible evidence.

According to Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Gershkovich, a 32-year-old US citizen, was arrested in Yekaterinburg on March 29, 2023, and is incarcerated in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison without a fair trial. The experts criticized the Russian judicial system’s pattern of politically motivated charges and prolonged pre-trial detentions, especially highlighting the recent extension of Gershkovich’s detention until June 30, 2024.

The case of Gershkovich is seen as part of a broader assault on press freedom in Russia, with the country reaching record numbers of detained journalists since the Ukraine conflict escalated. This trend represents a systematic effort to suppress independent journalism and control the narrative surrounding the war in Ukraine.

The statement also addressed the broader context of media repression in Russia, including the arbitrary detention of Alsu Kurmasheva, another US citizen and journalist, emphasizing the dire situation for journalists in the country. The UN experts condemned these actions as clear violations of international human rights standards and called on the global community to advocate for the safety and release of journalists detained in Russia.