March 29 marked the one-year anniversary of American journalist Evan Gershkovich’s detainment in Russia. Held under suspicion of espionage, Gershkovich is the first American reporter to be detained these charges since the Cold War. As his imprisonment continues, questions surrounding his release only grow increasingly important.
As a writer for The Wall Street Journal, Gershkovich lived in Russia for over six years before his arrest. He was in Yekaterinburg covering the private military company Wagner Group when Russian officials arrested him, alleging that he attempted to steal government secrets. Gershkovich is currently detained in Lefortovo prison.
Journalists are protected against arrest by the International Red Cross and by the Geneva Convention; Gershkovich’s arrest is demonstrative of Russia’s blatant disregard of international law and a free press.
While the arrest in of itself is certainly concerning, it raises a few larger issues: that no U.S. citizens residing in Russia are safe, and that the U.S. needs to stand its ground on future exchanges, Gershkovich being no exception.
The U.S. should not compromise when negotiating for Gershkovich’s release. Exchanging Gershkovich for someone the Russian government values is a mistake and will only lead to further arrests of Americans living in Russia, as Putin will have the confidence that Russia would be able to exchange said Americans for Russian prisoners held in the U.S.
It is important to continue to advocate for Gershkovich’s release and to negotiate for a prisoner exchange, but it’s equally as important to remain patient and not send the wrong message —that America is weak and is willing to make excessive concessions in order to get its people home.
Russia’s aggressive behavior towards American citizens is not restricted to Gershkovich. In 2022, Russia arrested WNBA basketball player Brittney Griner on charges of drug possession. Griner was used as a bargaining chip to trade for Russian nationals imprisoned in the U.S.
Eventually, Griner was brought back to the U.S. in a prisoner’s exchange involving Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer and convicted criminal. Although Griners’ return was undoubtedly a relief to many, the U.S. has set the bargaining price too low.
Griners’ exchange effectively signaled to the Russian government that the U.S. is willing to do too much to get its citizens home safely, which Putin will exploit. After all, Griner has no political influence or importance to the military, while Bout is an asset to the Russian government.
Bout supported the Russian invasion of Ukraine and is set to run for political office with a party that favors Putin. No human is intrinsically more valuable than another, but exchanging a convicted arms dealer for a basketball player is a lopsided deal.
Griner’s trial exemplifies the power imbalance between the U.S. and Russia in these prisoner exchanges.
To disrupt the status quo and to control Russia’s flagrant acts against Americans on Russian soil, the U.S. must take a firm stance on negotiations involving Gershkovich, making sure not to give up too much in return for his release.
