For Immediate Release:
Dateline: Indianapolis,
IN
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
CONTACT Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins, SPJ National President, ashanti.blaize@gmail.com
Kim Tsuyuki, SPJ Communications Specialist, ktsuyuki@hq.spj.org
INDIANAPOLIS — The Society of Professional Journalists continues to call for the release of Wall Street Journal correspondent Evan Gershkovich and strongly condemns the Moscow court that rejected Gershkovich’s appeal to end his pretrial detention. This comes just after a month marking his one-year imprisonment anniversary.
“Evan should be home with his family, and not stuck behind bars for simply doing his job," said SPJ National President Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins. “Several of Evan’s appeals have been denied and his pretrial detention has been extended numerous times. Enough is enough. Journalism is not a crime. The world needs journalists who hold the powerful to account and shed a light on the truth. Evan, and all other journalists currently in detainment, must be released.”
Russia is a leading jailer of journalists, with at least 22 behind bars as of late 2023, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. CPJ issued a report at the end of 2023 that put the number of imprisoned journalists at a near record high.
In addition to Gershkovich, Austin Tice, a freelance journalist and photographer, is believed to still be imprisoned in Syria, where he was kidnapped Aug. 14, 2012.
“The world needs these independent voices,” Blaize-Hopkins continued. “Silencing journalists is dangerous for us all.”
SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to informing citizens; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and fights to protect First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. Support excellent journalism and fight for your right to know. Become a member, give to the Legal Defense Fund or give to the SPJ Foundation.
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