After spending more than a year in a Russian prison, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich finally touched down on US soil late Thursday night, becoming the first American journalist arrested for alleged spying since the Cold War. The 32-year-old journalist was accompanied by freed hostages Paul Whelan and Alsu Kurmasheva, who all landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
This trio of released prisoners was part of a larger exchange involving 24 individuals from the US, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Russia, and Belarus – the largest prisoner exchange since the Cold War. A photo shared by the US government earlier in the day featured Gershkovich smiling alongside Kurmasheva, a Russian-American journalist, and former Marine Whelan.
US permanent resident and opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza was also freed but not pictured with the other three. Gershkovich’s family expressed their excitement for his release in an earlier statement: “We have waited 491 days for Evan’s release, and it’s hard to describe what today feels like. We can’t wait to give him the biggest hug and see his sweet and brave smile up close.
Gershkovich was arrested last year on March 29, 2023, while on a reporting trip in Yekaterinburg. The US government and the Wall Street Journal have firmly denied these accusations as fabricated. Convicted of espionage, Gershkovich was sentenced to 16 years in prison following a widely criticized closed-door trial. His family shares relief and joy with Paul and Alsu’s families after enduring approximately 16 months behind bars leading up to the historic prisoner exchange and their loved one’s newfound freedom.
