The Biden administration is ready to proclaim that the Wall Street Journal reporter was wrongly imprisoned in Russia

Wall Street Journal Editor Evan Gershkovich: Bringing the American journalist back to the Washington D.C.J. Anderson’s home

Russian authorities recently arrested and accused Gershkovich of being a spy, heightening Moscow’s tensions with the United States and its campaign against foreign news media.

The designation, which is expected in the coming days, follows an ongoing internal review of the circumstances surrounding Gershkovich’s arrest, officials said. The State Department will lead the US effort to get Gershkovich home.

Last week, State Department principal deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said he did not want to get ahead of the process, but said he did not believe there was any truth to the accusations against Gershkovich. John Kirby is a spokesman for the US National Security Council.

After two Americans were wrongly held in Russia, prisoner swaps resulted in their release. The US is starting to consider ways to get Gershkovich freed, but some are worried about a prisoner swap incentivizing the detainment of American journalists.

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was able to meet with his lawyers, the paper said in a statement Tuesday, adding that the journalist who has been detained in Russia since last week was in good health.

“His imprisonment is wholly unjustified and an attack on a free press. The statement from editors-in-chief Emma Tucker and Almar Latour said that they are doing everything they can to bring Evan home, and will not rest until he is back with his family.

Evan was asking questions and giving an account of himself in the region to keep the world well informed.

The Journal denied the charge against Gershkovich and said his arrest should spur outrage all over the world.