Trump Calls For Evan Gershkovich’s Release
United States former President Donald Trump said that Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich should be freed from a Russian jail.
An interview published on Tuesday, April 30, in which Trump told Time magazine that “The reporter should be released, and he will be released”.
Evan Gershkovich, 32 years old, was detained in Russia on March 29, 2023, while performing his job as a journalist. He is being held there on an allegation of espionage that he, the Journal, and the U.S. government vehemently deny.
Accordingly, the State Department has declared Gershkovich wrongfully detained, and President Biden has promised his family he would bring him home. However, on April 23, a Moscow court rejected an appeal by Gershkovich against his detention, meaning the U.S. citizen, who has been awaiting trial for more than a year, will remain behind bars until at least June 30.
Donald Trump, the presidential nominee of the presumptive Republican facing a rematch with Biden, hadn’t previously publicly weighed in on the journalist’s plight.
Further, asked by Time why hadn’t called for Evan Gershkovich’s release earlier, and Trump replied that “I guess because I have so many other things I’m working on. I have hundreds of things, and I probably have said very good things about him”. He added that “Maybe it wasn’t reported. I think he’s a very brave young man”.
Trump has often touted his relationship with Russian President Vladimie Putin as “here’s the difference between me and Biden, I’ll get him released” , he added. “Putin’s going to release him”, he added, referring to Evan Gershkovich.
However, the Russian Embassy in Washington didn’t respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
White House spokesman Andrew Bates noted Biden has brought home more than 60 Americans who were held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad and has worked ceaselessly for Gershkovich.
President Biden welcomes this new support for bringing Evan back home from Russia, and he will continue to demand both Evan’s and Paul’s release.
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