‘Beware of setting foot in Russia’: Blinken on WSJ reporter’s detention and lack of consular access
美国领事官员没有被授予访问权限to the journalist since his detention on March 29, in breach of its obligations under a consular convention Moscow signed with Washington earlier. Gershkovich has been charged with espionage and is awaiting a court hearing
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has pointed out that Russia's standing globally dipped further after detention of WSJ journalist. AFP
Washington:A day after designating Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich’s arrest in Russia as “wrongful detention”, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday pointed out that the arrest and denial of consular access has given out very obvious signals that people across the world should be cautious and “beware of even setting foot” in Russia.
美国领事官员没有被授予访问权限to the journalist since his detention on March 29, in breach of its obligations under a consular convention Moscow signed with Washington earlier. Gershkovich has been charged with espionage and it has also been alleged that he “violated the laws of the Russian Federation”.
Blinken added that Russia’s recent actions regarding the WSJ journalist would “do even more damage to Russia’s already low standing around the world.” Globally, Russia has for some time now been isolated by the Western world and slapped with stringent sanctions for its aggressive invasion of neighbouring Ukraine a year earlier.
Related Articles
In its turn, the Kremlin a day earlier said that Gershkovich had been caught “red-handed”, after the United States officially designated the journalist as having been “wrongfully detained” by Russia.
When quizzed about the case at a news conference, Blinken said, “I think it sends a very strong message to people around the world to beware of even setting foot there lest they be arbitrarily detained.”
Russia’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to the US Secretary of State’s remarks.
Russia’s FSB security service said on March 30 it had arrested Gershkovich, accusing him of gathering information about a Russian defence company that was a state secret. Russia has presented no evidence to support the case against Gershkovich, which is proceeding in secret because Russia says the case materials are confidential.
The Biden administration recently transferred the case from the State Department to the office of the Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs thus sharply raising the issue’s political profile.
Read all theLatest News,Trending News,Cricket News,Bollywood News,
India NewsandEntertainment Newshere. Follow us onFacebook,TwitterandInstagram.
also read
Russia's security agencies, courts crosses new lines in crackdown on President Putin's enemies
Since mid-March, Russia's parliament has also broadened censorship laws on what people can say about its armed forces and voted to extend the punishment for treason to life imprisonment instead of 20 years
Moscow court rejects key Russian opposition leader’s appeal of prison term
Yashin, one of the few Kremlin critics to have stayed in Russia after Putin launched the military action in Ukraine, participated by video link in Wednesday’s Moscow City Court hearing on his ultimately unsuccessful appeal
US, several UN nations denounce Russian 'crackdown' on media
The signatories said they were 'deeply concerned' by Russia's detention of The Wall Street Journal's Evan Gershkovich, who has been held for more than two weeks