Evan Gershkovich ‘working to stay strong’ as 250 days in detention approaches

The young Wall Street Journal reporter held in Russia will probably be detained there again at the end of the month, topping 250 days in pre-trial confinement | WATCH THE VIDEO

The parents of the detained Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich say he is working hard to stay strong as he nears the 250 day-mark behind bars in ­Russia.

Mikhail Gershkovich and Ella Milman, speaking to journalists in Washington last week, said despite maintaining restricted contact with their 32-year-old son since his arrest on March 29, the fight for his freedom remained deeply stressful.

They continue to work around the clock, particularly with representatives from News Corporation (publishers of the WSJ and The Australian), to advocate his release.

Sitting beside each other wearing Free Evan badges, the couple told members of the Australian media he was doing everything he could to “keep mentally strong, physically strong”.

“It’s a lot of hard work,” Ms Milman said.

Gershkovich was detained by Russia’s Federal Security Service and faces espionage charges. His case is the first time an American journalist has been arrested in similar circumstances in Russia since the Cold War.

Relations between the US and Russian governments have been tense since the invasion of Ukraine in February last year.

The journalist is being held at Lefortovo prison while he awaits trial and faces 20 years in prison if convicted. His current period of detention expires on November 30, just days shy of his 250th day of imprisonment.

Jason Conti, general counsel for Dow Jones & Co (publisher of the WSJ) said he expected one more three month extension to his detention.

“Then at some point early in the year we hope at least there will be a trial,” Mr Conti said.

The parents of detained Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich, Mikhail and Ella Milman, speaking in Washington. Picture: Sophie Elsworth

Despite Gershkovich’s daily struggles, his parents reflected that going to work for the WSJ had been his “dream job”, even though it turned to a nightmare only 15 months later.

Ms Milman spoke fondly of her son’s inquisitive nature in his early years.

“Evan was always a curious child, very curious, trying to learn and he was interested about his roots, his Russian roots. In college he kind of discovered what his passion is — journalism. He wrote for the college paper,” Ms Milman said.

“He decided to use his Russian skills to become a reporter, he took a risk and left his comfortable job at The New York Times.

“He started at the Moscow News, English published newspaper and from there he published all sorts of things.

Ms Milman said his social skills enabled him to get close to the Russian people.

“He would go into a rural area and meet the translators and video crew and manage to get to know them and talk to them, and I think that’s one of his qualities.

“He got the job of his dreams at The Wall Street Journal, he was so happy and that was January 2022. Unfortunately on March 29 this whole thing happened.”

Gershkovich was arrested while reporting in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg.

The allegations of espionage have been strongly denied by the WSJ and US government.

Ms Milman said she received weekly letters from her son and regular reports including from lawyers and the US ambassador in Russia, Lynne Tracy.

His father said he and his wife held out hope their son would be freed but said his arrest was appalling personally and an attack on the media in general.

“The normalisation of arresting journalists, using them in this game is absolutely horrible, not just for journalism and press, but for democracy and the world and I think we should fight for every single one of our people,” he said.