The editor in charge of efforts to free a Wall Street Journal reporter from a Russian prison will address a Feb. 22 Youngstown Press Club gathering.
Paul Beckett, the Journal’s assistant editor, will provide an update on what’s being done to secure the release of Evan Gershkovich, who has been detained in Russia since his arrest on March 29, 2023.
The event, whose slogan is “I stand with Evan” will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Ford Family Recital Hall at the DeYor Performing Arts Center. A reception will follow in the Eleanor Beecher Flad Pavilion. DeYor is located at 260 W. Federal St., Youngstown.
Tickets may be purchased for $30 each through the DeYor box office at deyorpac.org…
Besides the Youngstown Press Club, program sponsors are the DeYor Performing Arts Center, Pecchia Communications, The Business Journal, WKBN-TV, the Youngstown Area Jewish Federation and the Edward M. Barr Foundation.
Gershkovich, 32, is the American-born son of Soviet-era emigres to the United States. He learned Russian from his parents and built a career as a journalist focused on Russia.
He joined The Wall Street Journal in January 2022 after having reported from Moscow for Agence France Press and The Moscow Times.
Since his arrest on an espionage allegation, he has been held in the Stalin-era Lefortovo Prison, largely cut off from the world and spending 90 percent of his time in a small cell.
“It’s a huge issue – an American reporter in jail now for almost a year,” said Diane Laney Fitzpatrick, Youngstown Press Club executive director. “We’re looking forward to learning more about Evan’s situation and the work to get him released,” she added.
Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal and the Unites States government vehemently deny the espionage charge. Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State, has declared him wrongly detained, and President Joe Biden has promised to bring him home.
“Journalism is not a crime. We condemn the Kremlin’s continued repression of independent voices in Russia and its ongoing war against the truth,” the U.S. State Department said in a statement calling for the reporter’s immediate release.
“We’re very fortunate that the Wall Street Journal editor, who’s now working full-time on Evan’s freedom, has agreed to come to Youngstown as part of the work to keep this issue front and center,” Fitzpatrick said.
The Youngstown Press Club was re-established in 2018 to promote journalism and other communication-related professions in the Mahoning Valley.
DeYor Performing Arts Center
Metro Monthly is a local news and events magazine based in Youngstown, Ohio. We circulate throughout the Mahoning Valley and offer print and online editions. Be sure to visit our publication’s website for news, features, and community events. Office: 330-259-0435.
