Quotes
And it is a joyous day for the relatives and friends of the other wrongfully detained Americans and German citizens who returned home and for the Russian political prisoners who were released to the West,
We know the U.S. government is keenly aware, as are we, that the only way to prevent a quickening cycle of arresting innocent people as pawns in cynical geopolitical games is to remove the incentive for Russia and other nations that pursue the same detestable practice,
It is a joyous day for Evan’s family, friends and colleagues, who have worried about him and supported him these past 16 months. It is a joyous day for the millions of well-wishers in the U.S. and around the world who stood with Evan and defended the free press,
Wall Street Journal editor-in-chief Emma Tucker wrote We are also grateful to the other governments that helped bring an end to Evan’s nightmare, in particular the German government that played such a critical role,
While we waited for this momentous day, we were determined to be as loud as we could be on Evan’s behalf. We are so grateful for all the voices that were raised when his was silent. We can finally say, in unison, ‘Welcome home, Evan,
Now that Evan is home, we plan to give him as much time and space as he needs to restore himself, reconnect, and ponder the next steps in his life and career,
My greatest thanks, though, must go to Evan himself,
It has been our honor to have got to know Evan’s family—Ella, Mikhail, Danielle and Anthony—and we have marveled at their good grace, fortitude and wisdom under such pressure. We can imagine and share in their joy and relief at the return of their son and brother,
This is an incredible relief for all the family members gathered here,
He was targeted by the Russian government because he is a journalist and an American,
said Joe Biden after Gershkovich was handed down a 16-year sentence earlier this month, following a fast-tracked trial that was designed to speed the way toward a swap Why did Putin kill Navalny now?”
Days later, his ally Maria Pevchikh released a video titled Russian troops were losing the battle for Lyman, a small city in eastern Ukraine, in late September when a call came in for the commanding officer on the front line, over an encrypted line from Moscow,
Gershkovich wrote, along with a team of reporters from the Wall Street Journal Are we releasing murderers, killers or thugs? Just curious because we never make good deals, at anything, but especially hostage swaps.”
Donald Trump has already criticised the deal, writing Putin had become maniacal about getting Krasikov back; he really, really wanted Krasikov,
a source with knowledge of Kremlin deliberations on the issue told the Guardian earlier this year Journalism is not a crime,
I do not exclude that the person you mentioned, Mr Gershkovich, may end up in his homeland,
Evan Gershkovich is finally free. And Trump had nothing to do with it."
Josh Eakle, the president of Project Liberal, tweeted Trump attempted to use Evan Gershkovich, the American journalist recently freed after being falsely imprisoned in Russia, as leverage for his re-election campaign. However, President Biden has denied him that opportunity."
News blog ... The Intellectualist said We have to ask ourselves why are they coming home. And I think it's because bad guys all over the world recognize Donald Trump's about to be back in office and so they're cleaning house,
Vance told CNN on Thursday For anyone who questions whether allies matter—they do. Today is a powerful example of why it's vital to have friends in this world, friends you can trust, work with and depend upon, especially on matters of great consequence and sensitivity like this. Our alliances make our people safer."
Flanked by family members of the released prisoners, he continued