The Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich was arrested with the personal approval of Vladimir Putin. Sources «familiar with the situation» told Bloomberg about this.
The agency's interlocutors said on condition of anonymity that Gershkovich's arrest «reflects the growing influence of Kremlin hardliners who are pushing for a deepening confrontation with Washington.» According to them, high-ranking Russian security officials suggested arresting the American journalist.
Evan Gershkovich was detained in Yekaterinburg on March 29 on suspicion of espionage (Article 276 of the Criminal Code). A court in Moscow sent him to the Lefortovo pre-trial detention center. On April 7, the journalist was charged, which he categorically denied. According to the FSB, the Wall Street Journal correspondent «on the instructions of the American side, collected information constituting state secrets about the activities of an enterprise of the Russian military-industrial complex.»
The US State Department assigned Gershkovich the status of «wrongfully detained.» US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and US President Joe Biden called for the release of the journalist.