Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Reuters
Reuters
Politics

Biden calls on Russia to release US reporter: "Let him go"

Members of the media ask questions to U.S. President Joe Biden as he walks to the Marine One helicopter to depart for travel to Mississippi to view tornado damage, from the White House in Washington, U.S., March 31, 2023. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

U.S. President Joe Biden called on Russia on Friday to release detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was charged with spying by Moscow.

Russia's FSB security service said on Thursday it had detained Gershkovich, the most serious public move against a foreign journalist since Russia invaded Ukraine.

"Let him go," Biden said as he left the White House for a trip to storm-ravaged Mississippi.

Asked if he was going to expel Russian diplomats after the detention of Gershkovich, Biden said, "That's not the plan right now."

The White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, called the espionage charges "ridiculous" on Thursday and said there was no evidence to support the claim.

The Journal said the detention of Gershkovich was based on false allegations.

The FSB accused Gershkovich of gathering information classified as a state secret about a military factory.

It did not name the factory or say where it was, but said it had detained the 31-year-old journalist in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg as he was trying to procure secret information. It did not provide documentary or video evidence of his guilt.

(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by William Maclean)

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.