The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed a bipartisan resolution on Tuesday calling on Russia to immediately free Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been detained since March after being slapped with vague espionage charges.
"We applaud the latest show of bipartisan support from Congress in the fight for Evan’s release. His wrongful detention is a blow to press freedom, and it should matter to anyone who values free society," WSJ editor in Chief Emma Tucker and publisher Almar Latour said in a joint statement.
"We will not rest until he is free," they continued.
Gershkovich, known for his on-the-ground journalism that put a spotlight on issues inside President Vladimir Putin’s country, was in Yekaterinburg and charged with espionage on the heels of a damning story he penned about Russia’s crumbling economy. President Biden has called on Russia to release Gershkovich, while the WSJ has dismissed any notion that he was doing anything other than working as a journalist. The U.S. has officially designated him "wrongfully detained" by Russia. The vote was 422-0 in favor of the resolution.
Financial Times reporter Polina Ivanova, a close friend of Gershkovich who along with other colleagues has continued to rally people to his cause, said the resolution was a significant step.
"A strong and unified political statement about Evan's case is so important, and it would be great to see it go through," she told Fox News Digital before Tuesday's vote.
"It is more than two months [since] his arrest, and Evan is staying strong despite everything," Ivanova continued. "He's focused and determined, and also continuing to read a great deal and reply to letters from supporters and friends."
DETAINED WSJ REPORTER EVAN GERSHKOVICH'S COLLEAGUES SPEAK OUT ON HIS PASSION FOR JOURNALISM, RUSSIA
The House also called for Russia to provide unrestricted consular access to Gershkovich until he is set free.
The U.S. has all along asserted that Russia's allegation that Gershkovich is a spy is absurd on its face, as have his colleagues, who describe the 31-year-old as a diligent reporter who is being used as a political pawn due to his high profile.
Before the vote, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., condemned Gershkovich's imprisonment.
"We have to speak with one voice. I think Russia and Putin need to understand the seriousness of what we’re talking about," McCarthy said. "One, going after an American, but going after somebody in the press…. We won’t stand for this."
Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., added, "The fact that Evan was working in Russia, legally, was the key. And then they decide to make an example of him because they are upset at the U.S.—that cannot be tolerated."
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in April that journalism is not a crime and condemned the Kremlin's "continued repression of independent voices in Russia, and its ongoing war against the truth."
"The U.S. government will provide all appropriate support to Mr. Gershkovich and his family. We call for the Russian Federation to immediately release Mr. Gershkovich," Blinken said.
The House also called for the immediate release of prisoner Paul Whelan. David Whelan, the twin brother of former U.S. Marine-turned Russian prisoner, told Fox News Digital earlier this year that he saw history repeating itself with the arrest of Gershkovich.
"The Kremlin detains Americans for strategic reasons and to extract concessions from the U.S. government. So, the fact that they are detaining another American means that they have a plan for that person and a reason to hold them. And I don't think it's a domestic reason," David Whelan said.
"I don't think they're trying to show their people that they're strong by arresting Americans," he continued. "They are either preparing for, or want to be prepared for, when they need to have two people who can be traded for spies."
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The grounds for Whelan's arrest remain dubious, too, with different accounts from U.S. and Russian authorities. Whelan has been in Russian custody for over four years, convicted on charges of espionage and spying for the U.S. government and sentenced to 16 years in prison. Whelan and the U.S. have denied the charges as the 53-year-old remains imprisoned at a labor camp in Russia's Mordovia republic.
