Gershkovich has He lived in Moscow During the last six years, as a reporter of the Wall Street Journal, focusing its coverage in Russia, Ukraine and the former Soviet Union. He is accredited as a journalist by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Wall Street Journal reported. Your last articlePublished on Tuesday, it was about the possible next decrease in Russia’s economy.
Gershkovich’s trial comes at the same time that Kremlin is taking energetic measures against the duration of the sparkling war and criticism in Ukraine, which the international community has condemned. In September 2022, the Russian Police arrested 1,300 people in protests against the war after President Vladimir Putin announced that citizens would be recruited for the fight against Ukraine. More recent, a Russian father was sentimental Up to two years in prison after his 13-year-old daughter made Pro-Ukrainian art with the slogan “Gloria to Ukraine”.
Russia is also taking energetic measures against the media. After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Putin signed a law that made him a crime Inform “false” news about war with Ukraine, including simply referring to it as a war, leading many international organizations suspension Country reports.
The points of sale have done underneath censorshipwith restricted language and punishment for contradicting the government. According to journalists without borders, journalists have also directed attacks while they are reported from Ukraine, and eight They were killed Within the first six months of war.
The Russian authorities have made a high profile judgment or American citizens before, or for inflated reasons or spurious. On February 17, 2022, shortly before the Invasion of Ukraine of Russia, the Russian authorities arrested the WNBA player Brittney Griner after vape cartridges with a Small amount of hashish oil They were found in their luggage. Griner then declared himself guilty of drug charges and it was sentimental Nine years in a Russian criminal colony. The case was widely seen as a Political movement In the United States, which had promised Aid To Ukraine. Later, Griner was released in an exchange of prisoners with Russian weapons trafficker Viktor Bout.
Gershkovich is the first journalist in 30 years to be arrested in Russia about accusations of espionage. In 1986, Nicholas Daniloff, reporter of US News & World Report, was Arrested by the KGB While he was a correspondent of Moscow and released 20 days later in an exchange of prisoners for an employee or the Russian government that had arrested for the FBI.