“Write letters to Evan”: FT correspondent on WSJ reporter jailed in Russia

Moscow’s Lefortovo Prison. For almost one year now, this has been
the home of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who is
being held on charges of espionage.


Lefortovo is known as one of the most secret prisons in Russia.
It is notorious as a place of arrest for high-level personalities
detained by Russian authorities on politically motivated charges.
Prisoners sent there are typically investigated by the FSB, one
of Russia’s most powerful secret services.


In just one moment in March 2023, Evan’s life changed from that
of an active reporter to that of a simple prisoner at Lefortovo.
One year later, Russian investigators have still produced no
proof justifying the charges against him. Instead, they have
regularly extended Evan’s pre-trial detention. If convicted, he
faces between 10 and 20 years in prison.


While a prisoner exchange with the United States was on the table
since Evan was first arrested, the prospect of his release still
seems further away than ever.


The IPI global network continues to advocate for his release.
Together with other press freedom groups and international media,
we demanded that Russian authorities set Evan free, sent him a
letter to Lefortovo, spoke to his friends and continuously kept
his case at the forefront of our activities by highlighting any
updates in the criminal case opened against him.


In this new episode of The Press Freedom Files, published to mark
the one-year anniversary of Evan’s arrest, we speak to Polina
Ivanova, a correspondent for FT who covers Russia, Ukraine, the
Caucasus and Central Asia. Together with Gershkovich, she covered
the region for several years from Moscow, prior to his arrest.


In a moving testimony, Polina recounts Evan’s work, his life, and
what it was like to see him behind bars over the past year.


Guests: Polina Ivanova, Russia, Ukraine, Caucasus and Central
Asia correspondent at FT.


Producer and Host: Karol Łuczka, Eastern Europe Advocacy and
Monitoring Officer at IPI.


Editor: Javier Luque, Head of Digital Communications at IPI.