Former President and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump recently observed the start of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich sham espionage trial in Russia on Wednesday by insisting that his victory in November’s election would herald the end of Gershkovich’s captivity via Mediaite.
“EVAN GERSHKOVICH, the young Wall Street Journal reporter who is being harshly detained in Russia as his ESPIONAGE TRIAL is about to begin, will be released prior to my taking office if I WIN the Election on NOVEMBER 5th,” wrote Trump on Truth Social.
“Crooked Joe can’t do anything right, although it is likely that he will pay $BILLIONS, which continues a very bad “Biden Precedent,” to get Evan home. I got a record 58 hostages brought home, paying next to nothing. Putin has no respect for Biden – and that’s the way it goes!!! Fear not, Evan, I will get you home soon, and you will be safe while there!!!”
Wall Street Journal Editor-in-Chief Emma Tucker marked the occasion more solemnly in an open letter to readers on Tuesday.
“Russian authorities said recently that our colleague, Evan Gershkovich, will face trial in a court in Yekaterinburg after 15 months of pretrial detention in Moscow. To even call it a trial, however, is unfair to Evan and a continuation of this travesty of justice that already has gone on for far too long,” argued Tucker. “Let us be very clear, once again: Evan is a staff reporter of The Wall Street Journal. He was on assignment in Russia, where he was an accredited journalist.”
She continued:
When his case comes before a judge this week, it will not be a trial as we understand it, with a presumption of innocence and a search for the truth. Rather, it will be held in secret. No evidence has been unveiled. And we already know the conclusion: This bogus accusation of espionage will inevitably lead to a bogus conviction for an innocent man who would then face up to 20 years in prison for simply doing his job. And an excellent job he was doing, at that.
Trump first submitted that he alone could free Gershkovich in a late night Truth Social post last month, when he declared that “Evan Gershkovich, the Reporter from The Wall Street Journal, who is being held by Russia, will be released almost immediately after the Election, but definitely before I assume Office.”
“He will be HOME, SAFE, AND WITH HIS FAMILY. Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, will do that for me, but not for anyone else, and WE WILL BE PAYING NOTHING!” added Trump.
