The U.S. State Department is actively working to secure the release of Americans Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, who have been detained in Russia on espionage charges. The U.S. has made a new and significant proposal to Russia to secure their release, but it was rejected. The State Department spokesperson, Matthew Miller, emphasized that the proposal was solely intended to secure the release of Mr. Gershkovich and Mr. Whelan and not any other detainees. He stated that despite the rejection, the U.S. government remains committed to bringing both of them home.
Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine, was sentenced to 16 years in prison after being convicted in a Russian court in July 2020. Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, has also been detained in Russia and faces allegations of espionage. Both Gershkovich and his employer have denied the allegations, with the U.S. government declaring his detention wrongful. The Russian authorities have yet to provide concrete evidence to support the espionage charges.
The U.S. government has also expressed concern about the case of Alsu Kurmasheva, a Russian-American journalist detained in Russia for failing to register as an agent of a foreign government. The State Department remains closely monitoring her case and is committed to assisting U.S. citizens who have been detained overseas. A coalition of press freedom and civil society groups has urged the Biden administration to designate Ms. Kurmasheva as a wrongfully detained U.S. citizen.
Despite the rejection of the proposal to secure their release, the U.S. government remains committed to bringing both Paul Whelan and Evan Gershkovich home. They are also closely monitoring the case of Alsu Kurmasheva, and working to ensure that detained U.S. citizens receive the necessary support and assistance.