President Joe Biden was questioned by reporters about detained journalist Evan Gershkovich.
Before jumping on Air Force One for his trip to Ireland, a reporter asked Biden, “Have you spoken to Evan Gershkovich’s family?”
Biden replied, “I tried to get them yesterday. We missed calls. I called them yesterday, and we missed calls. I’m going to try them from the plane.”
When asked again if he is going to try calling them from the plane, Biden said, “Yeah. Because…”
The reporter clarified, “That’s Evan Gershkovich’s family?”
Biden confirmed it is the reporter’s family.
The reporter then asked Biden if there is anything he can say about the case.
“Well, you know, we’re making it real clear that it’s totally illegal what’s happening, and we declared it so. It changes the dynamic,” the president explained.
Watch Biden’s comments below:
Biden on Evan Gershkovich:
— JM Rieger (@RiegerReport) April 11, 2023
"It's totally illegal what's happening" pic.twitter.com/dg9ACE7mfd
The Wall Street Journal reporter was arrested on the accusation of espionage last month, as IJR reported.
The State Department issued a statement on Gershkovich Monday, saying he is being “wrongfully detained.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken explained, “Journalism is not a crime. We condemn the Kremlin’s continued repression of independent voices in Russia, and its ongoing war against the truth.”
He added, “The U.S. government will provide all appropriate support to Mr. Gershkovich and his family. We call for the Russian Federation to immediately release Mr. Gershkovich.”
Emma Tucker, the editor-in-chief of The Wall Street Journal, updated the newsroom on Gershkovich’s condition in a note, per Fox News.
“Evan’s health is good, and he is grateful for the outpouring of support from around the world,” Tucker wrote.
She continued, “We continue to call for his immediate release.”
The New York Times noted Gershkovich decided to report in Russia despite the risks that came with the job.
“We all knew that working in Russia was risky,” Anton Troianovski, The Times’s Moscow bureau chief, said.
However, he added, “The journalistic mission was incredibly important.”