Russian authorities said Thursday they arrested an American journalist working with The Wall Street Journal on espionage charges.
Ivan Gershkovich was detained in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg on charges of “espionage for the interests of the US government,” the Federal Security Service (FSB) said in a statement, state media reported.
The FSB accused Gershkovich of collecting “state secret information about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex.”
No evidence or details were provided as to when Gershkovich was arrested. If convicted, he could be jailed for up to 20 years.
Gershkovich is a correspondent covering Russia, Ukraine and the former Soviet Union.
According to him, he was previously a correspondent for Agence France-Presse and the Moscow Times and a press secretary for the New York Times. Author page from the Wall Street Journal website.
His most recent article was published earlier this week and co-authored, “The Russian Economy Begins to Collapse.”
In a report published by the Wall Street Journal newspaper, “Mr. “We are deeply concerned for the safety of Gersikovich.”
Gershkovich was the first American journalist to be arrested for espionage in Russia since the Cold War.
His arrest comes amid rising tensions between Moscow and Washington over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and an internal Kremlin crackdown on free speech.
It also follows a famous prisoner exchange involving WNBA star Brittany Griner.
Griner was released from a Russian prison in December in exchange for arms dealer Viktor Bout, who pleaded guilty to having cannabis-fueled e-cigarette tins in his luggage but said he had no criminal intent.
Paul Whelan, an American corporate security executive jailed in Russia for espionage, was expected to be included in the exchange, but he remains in prison.
In recent years, Russian President Vladimir Putin has overseen the largest crackdown on free speech and political dissent since the Soviet era.
His full-scale invasion of Ukraine escalated, with the country adopting a draconian law banning criticism of its military.
This is a growing story. Check back for updates.