Russian President Vladimir Putin raised a possible prisoner swap when asked about the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been wrongfully detained in Russia for nearly a year.
Gershkovich was arrested last March when Russian authorities brought dubious espionage charges against him. Both the State Department and The Wall Street Journal categorically denied those accusations.
He has been held in Moscow for more than 300 days.
WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORTER EVAN GERSHKOVICH SPENDS 300 DAYS DETAINED IN RUSSIA
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich stands in a glass cage in a Moscow City Courtroom in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov)
In an interview published Thursday with commentator Tucker Carlson, Putin suggested that Gershkovich could be freed in a prisoner swap and that talks are underway between the United States and Russia.
“There is no taboo to resolve this issue. We are ready to resolve it,” Putin said. “But certain conditions are being discussed through special service channels. I think an agreement can be reached.”
WALL STREET JOURNAL EDITOR WORKING ON EVAN GERSHKOVICH'S PUBLICATION SAYS THE WAY FORWARD IS 'EXTREMELY COMPLICATED'
The Wall Street Journal issued a statement to Fox News saying: “We are encouraged to see Russia's desire to reach a deal that brings Evan home, and we hope this will lead to his quick release and return to his family and our living room. Of writing”.
The State Department did not comment on Putin's statements, but reiterated that Gershkovich should be released immediately.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with the President of the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi on December 6, 2023. (Sergei SAVOSTYANOV / POOL / AFP)
Gershkovich, 32, the son of Soviet immigrants, was arrested on March 29 while reporting in Yekaterinburg, the fourth largest city in Russia, and was accused of being a spy, which the US government has strenuously denied.
All of his appeals have been denied and he likely faces conviction.
Since then, Gershkovich has been held in Moscow's notorious Lefortovo prison for almost a year, spending about 90% of his day in a small cell, according to the WSJ.
EVAN GERSHKOVICH STAYS STRONG AS FRIENDS, FAMILY REMAINS FRUSTRATED BY RUSSIA'S INDEFINITE DETENTION
“He's doing the best he can under the circumstances, and the circumstances are very difficult,” his mother Ella Milman said last month, adding that Lefortovo prison is “basically designed to isolate you and break you down.”
“He doesn't see the light of day, it's hard,” his mother continued. “But he's fighting, answering letters, we get a letter from him every week… he reads and asks for literature he wants to read, he keeps his spirits up and his letters are funny, they make me laugh. He tries really hard. “I think for us. “We're worried about him, he's worried about us.”
Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich has been unjustly detained by Russia during a reporting trip and accused of espionage. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)
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The United States ambassador to Russia, Lynne Tracy, visited Gershkovich in prison and kept his family informed about his condition. His friends also told Fox News Digital that he maintained his sense of humor and tried to stay upbeat while he languished in custody.
Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this report.
