Evan Gershkovich Recounts Arrest, Belief He Was a 'Pawn' in Russian 'Game'

U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich has recounted the moment he realized he was being set up by Russian agents, believing he was deliberately lured into a trap. Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal's foreign correspondent in Moscow, was arrested by FSB agents in March 2023 in the city of Yekaterinburg. He was accused of espionage and subsequently sentenced to 16 years in prison, though he was freed 16 months later as part of a prisoner exchange.

In his first interview since his release, Gershkovich told the BBC that upon being surrounded by masked men at a restaurant, he understood the gravity of the situation. "When it's the FSB, you know it's been planned," he said. He noted that the individual he was meeting at the time disappeared into the crowd.

Gershkovich, 34, who has maintained his innocence and that the charges were fabricated, said he experienced a moment of relief when he was not subjected to the interrogation or torture tactics common for spies. "I realized they're not treating me like a real spy," he explained. "They've set me up and fabricated this case so that I can be a valuable hostage, a pawn in a greater game." This realization, he stated, helped him remain psychologically stable during his imprisonment and led him to anticipate a prisoner swap as a potential resolution.

His belief that he was a high-profile target for such an exchange was fueled by the global outcry his arrest generated. Media organizations worldwide covered his case, his image was displayed in Times Square, and then-U.S. President Joe Biden affirmed that securing his release was a top priority. Gershkovich speculated that Russia orchestrated his arrest to acquire a valuable asset for a trade, potentially for Vadim Krasikov, an assassin serving a life sentence in Germany.

Gershkovich was held in Moscow's Lefortovo jail, a facility with a history of housing high-profile inmates. He described the experience as isolating but stated that he was treated adequately, with sufficient food and sleep. He deliberately smiled during court appearances, he said, as a form of defiance and to signal that he was enduring the fabricated charges.

He stressed that his treatment was not universal in the Russian prison system, drawing a contrast with cases like that of Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna, who died in Russian captivity in 2024 and reportedly showed signs of torture. Gershkovich learned of a planned prisoner swap three weeks before it occurred, describing the period as agonizing. The exchange finally took place on August 1, 2024, bringing a moment of "pure joy."

Upon his return, Gershkovich faced challenges readjusting to normal life, experiencing sleep difficulties and panic attacks. He has been undergoing therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder and has found writing about his ordeal to be helpful. Reflecting on his past in Russia, where his parents emigrated from the Soviet Union and where he lived and had relationships, Gershkovich expressed a hope to return one day, contingent on future political changes in Russia.