Schatz Statement On Release Of Americans And Others Wrongfully Detained In Russia

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement after three Americans – including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, and journalist Alsu Kurmasheva – as well as columnist Vladimir Kara-Murza, were freed from Russian captivity as part of a broader multi-country prisoner swap.

“Evan Gershkovich has been wrongfully imprisoned for over a year simply for doing his job as a journalist. Today, thanks to months of diligent diplomacy from President Biden, U.S. government officials, and global allies, Evan will finally be reunited with his family and able to continue doing the job he loves.

“A free press is not just an ideal we espouse in America – it’s a value we protect and defend, at home and abroad. The release of Evan, along with Alsu Kurmasheva and Vladimir Kara-Murza, is a significant victory for press freedom. It’s also a reminder that the work to preserve independent journalism and resist the targeting of journalists around the world continues.

“I’m also pleased that Paul Whelan and others who have been detained by Russia for years on baseless charges are free at last and coming home to their loved ones.”

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