Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged his Russian counterpart to immediately release a Wall Street Journal reporter who was detained last week as well as another imprisoned American, Paul Whelan.
WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged his Russian counterpart, in a rare phone call between the diplomats since the Ukraine war, to immediately release a Wall Street Journal reporter who was detained last week as well as another imprisoned American, Paul Whelan, the State Department said Sunday.
Whelan, a Michigan corporate security executive, has been imprisoned in Russia since December 2018 on espionage charges that his family and the U.S. government have said are baseless. He is serving a 16-year sentence. In its summary of the call, Russia’s foreign ministry said Lavrov “drew Blinken’s attention to the need to respect the decisions of the Russian authorities” about Gershkovich, whom Moscow claims, without evidence, “was caught red-handed.”
U.S. consular officials have requested a visit with Gershkovich but no announcement of such access has been made. Officials said they were hopeful consular access could be arranged in the coming week but could not speak to when that might happen. In alleging that U.S. officials and news media are hyping Gershkovich’s detention, Russian officials are reprising a theme they used in the apprehensions of basketball star Brittney Griner and other U.S. citizens. The Kremlin has said it prefers to resolve such cases quietly and has emphasized the need to follow Russia’s judicial process. Often, that means the chance of progress in U.S.
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Secretary of State Antony Blinken urges Russia to free 2 detained Americans, including journalistBlinken conveyed 'grave concern' over the Kremlin's detention of journalist Evan Gershkovich on espionage allegations and called for his immediate release.
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Secretary of State Antony Blinken urges Russia to free 2 detained Americans, including journalistBlinken conveyed 'grave concern' over the Kremlin's detention of journalist Evan Gershkovich on espionage allegations and called for his immediate release.
Read more »
Secretary of State Antony Blinken urges Russia to free 2 detained Americans, including journalistBlinken conveyed 'grave concern' over the Kremlin's detention of journalist Evan Gershkovich on espionage allegations and called for his immediate release.
Read more »
Secretary of State Antony Blinken urges Russia to free 2 detained Americans, including journalistBlinken conveyed 'grave concern' over the Kremlin's detention of journalist Evan Gershkovich on espionage allegations and called for his immediate release.
Read more »
Secretary of State Antony Blinken urges Russia to free 2 detained Americans, including journalistBlinken conveyed 'grave concern' over the Kremlin's detention of journalist Evan Gershkovich on espionage allegations and called for his immediate release.
Read more »
Secretary of State Antony Blinken urges Russia to free 2 detained Americans, including journalistBlinken conveyed 'grave concern' over the Kremlin's detention of journalist Evan Gershkovich on espionage allegations and called for his immediate release.
Read more »