The IPI global network welcomes today’s release of U.S. journalists Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva, who had been jailed in Russia following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The pair were released as part of a prisoner exchange with the United States and several European countries. In addition, Russian authorities reportedly freed activists and other regime critics such as Vladimir Kara-Murza, Ilya Yashin, and Sasha Skochilenko. All in all, as a result of today’s prisoner swap, at least 15 political prisoners were set free from Russian prisons.
“This news comes as a huge and welcome relief, and we are thrilled that Evan and Alsu are finally able to return home and reunite with their families, friends, and colleagues,” IPI Interim Executive Director Scott Griffen said. “Yet their release – which we rightfully celebrate today – does not erase the deep injustice these journalists have faced for doing their jobs. Their arrests and jailing on politically motivated charges laid bare Russia’s blatant attempt to silence critical, independent coverage of the war. We also condemn Russia’s cynical hostage-taking tactics, which have sent a chill through the community of foreign correspondents still operating in the country.
“We repeat our call on the Russian authorities to allow journalists to do their jobs freely, to release all remaining journalists behind bars, and to urgently rescind legislation that criminalizes publishing facts about the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, including crimes committed by Russian forces there.”
Today’s swap took place less than two weeks after the sentencing of Gershkovich and Kurmasheva, in sham trials which lasted just a few days each. At the end of proceedings, the two journalists were found guilty respectively of espionage and disseminating “fake news” about the Russian army.
While the cases of the journalists released today differ somewhat as to the circumstances in which they took place, all three are linked by reporting related to the war in Ukraine.
Gershkovich, a correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, was detained while reporting for an article about recruitment efforts by Russia’s former private military group Wagner. The accusations against him were directly related to his work as a journalist, with investigators in the case accusing him of “collecting information” about the Russian defence industry. On July 19, 2024, he was sentenced to 16 years in prison.
Kurmasheva was detained in October 2023 in her hometown of Kazan. Prior to her arrest, she worked for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), an independent media corporation based in Prague and which is financed by the U.S. Congress. In its verdict, the Supreme Court of Tatarstan found that the journalist had violated article 207.3 of Russia’s criminal code, which foresees up to 15 years of prison for publishing information on the war in Ukraine not confirmed by Russian authorities.
Kurmasheva was formally charged with disseminating “fake news” for her role in the edition of a book published by RFE/RL on Russians who opposed the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Even following today’s prisoner exchange, 18 more Russian journalists remain behind bars according to IPI monitoring. Five of those have been convicted or are standing trial for deciding not to ignore Russian war crimes in their independent reporting on the war in Ukraine.
