The National Press Club (NPC) on Thursday honored Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who is being held in a Moscow prison on charges of espionage, with its highest honorary award for press freedom, the John Aubuchon Award.
NPC President Eileen O’Reilly said in a joint statement with Gil Klein, president of NPC’s Journalism Institute, that Gershkovich “has been dedicated and courageous while reporting from Russia during a period of dramatically increased danger for journalists.”
“In an environment filled with risks, he has consistently delivered honest, bold and enlightening news coverage,” the statement reads. “Evan’s journalism is the cause of his unjust detention by Russian security forces.
“Journalism is not a crime and Evan should not be jailed for his profession — he should be honored for it,” they continued. “We call for Evan to be released immediately and without conditions.”
The John Aubuchon Award is named for a past NPC president who was passionate about ensuring press freedom. The club announces one domestic, U.S. honoree and one international nominee each year.
Aubuchon honorees receive more than just recognition. The NPC is pledging to monitor and support Gershkovich’s case to ensure he can report and publish freely.
Emma Tucker, the editor-in-chief of The Wall Street Journal, said Gershkovich “is a distinguished member of the free press, and any other suggestions are false.”
“We deeply appreciate the National Press Club and the National Press Club Journalism Institute for standing with Evan as we continue to demand his release,” she said in a statement.
Gershkovich was arrested by Russia’s Federal Security Service last week in the city of Yekaterinburg, becoming the first U.S. journalist detained overseas by Russia on allegations of spying since the Cold War.
Russia has accused him of attempting to collect a state secret on behalf of the U.S. government, charges that Washington has called “ridiculous.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken called his Russian counterpart over the weekend and pushed for the immediate release of Gershkovich.
The U.S. is preparing to designate him as wrongfully detained to open up more resources to get him home.
Gershkovich, 31, has reported in Russia for years and for The Wall Street Journal since January 2022, most recently writing about the impact of Western sanctions on Russia’s economy.
Almar Latour, CEO of Dow Jones and Publisher of The Wall Street Journal, said Gershkovich is a “respected journalist whose reporting provides a unique insight into life in an evolving Russia.”
“His unjust arrest deprives readers around the world and in Russia of valuable insights,” Latour said in a statement. “It’s an affront to journalism and should matter to anyone who values freedom.”