On March 30th, Evan Gershkovich, an American journalist working for The Wall Street Journal, was arrested on charges of espionage. Gershkovich reported his innocence as he was detained in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg. The charges appear to be falsified, and the journalist has denied all accusations against him. Gershkovich’s arrest marks the first detention of an American reporter in Russia on espionage charges since 1986.

The arrest has alarmed the international community as it is part of a wider trend in Russia's suppression of independent press and democratic freedoms. Russia has widely used espionage charges to target foreign nationals, and now it seems journalists are vulnerable as well. Gershkovich worked as a Moscow correspondent, covering COVID-19, Russia’s economy, and local politics while abiding by press laws, which the Russian authorities now seem to be ignoring.

The arrest follows the conviction of Roman Anin, a Russian investigative journalist, on charges of violating privacy laws. Anin’s sentencing marked Russia's ever-growing intolerance of independent journalism. The condemnation of Gershkovich’s arrest has been widespread with journalists and media houses alike stating that the detention is an attack on press freedom.