WASHINGTON, D.C. – Speaker Johnson, Leader Schumer, Leader McConnell, and Leader Jeffries released the following statement:
"Evan Gershkovich, an American citizen and reporter for The Wall Street Journal, has now spent a year wrongfully detained by Putin's government. We continue to condemn his baseless arrest, fabricated charges, and unjust imprisonment.
"Forty-five years ago, Evan's parents, Ella and Mikhail Gershkovich, found refuge in the United States after fleeing the Soviet Union. Today, Putin is restoring Soviet-style control through repression at home and aggression abroad.
"On the anniversary of Evan Gershkovich's captivity, we reaffirm the importance of his work. Journalism is not a crime, and reporters are not bargaining chips. The Kremlin's attempts to silence Evan and intimidate other Western reporters will not impede the pursuit of truth.
"We repeat our call for the Russian government to release Evan, Paul Whelan, and others it has wrongfully detained without further delay."
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