Russian invasion of Ukraine

[YUPPIE]

There's a recurring ongoing story of Russia holding an American journalist hostage right now, and the person in question wasn't necessarily an "idiot" like Griner (maybe).

A van carrying Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich leaves the Lefortovsky court, in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, March 30, 2023. Russia’s top security agency says an American reporter for the Wall Street Journal has been arrested on espionage charges. The Federal Security Service said Thursday that Evan Gershkovich was detained in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg while allegedly trying to obtain classified information. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
Russia’s arrest of an American journalist on Thursday sparked outrage in the U.S., escalating fears that Moscow may attempt to take additional hostages as tensions reach new heights during the war in Ukraine.

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, part of the newspaper’s Moscow bureau, was detained by Russian authorities in the city of Yekaterinburg on charges of espionage, accused of collecting a state secret about the Russian military-industrial complex.

The White House has indicated that it’s too early to say if Gershkovich’s arrest will lead to more incidents — and noted Thursday the motive for the move was unknown — but journalism groups are already sounding the alarm.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) warned that Moscow’s overall goal could be to stamp out foreign journalists in Russia from publishing information critical of the Kremlin, after cracking down on Russian journalists over the past year. The group said that Russia is likely to draft fabricated information in Gershkovich’s case.

“Russia managed to eliminate free press in the last 12 months or so. And now it could be the next stage to deal with foreign media,” said Gulnoza Said, CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator. “It’s all about Russia’s attempt to control reporting.”

She also warned that Gershkovich’s case could become a long, diplomatic battle.

Because Russian trials deny the accused basic rights and are often conducted in secret, Said said Gershkovich’s chances of freedom hinge on negotiations between the U.S. and Russia, which is seeking to benefit from the arrest.

“What Russians usually do, it’s like playing chess [with] many moves ahead, and they try to benefit with every move,” Said explained. “When I woke up and I heard this news, my immediate question was, ‘Which high-profile or even not very high-profile Russian is in an American jail?’ Because I think that is going to be the way it’s going to be resolved eventually.”

Meanwhile, the White House said it is focused on getting access to Gershkovich before assessing the threat level in Russia for journalists.

“It’s too soon to know or to be able to indicate that this is some sort of larger movement afoot here,” national security spokesman John Kirby said on Thursday. “We’re focused on Evan. We’re focused on … getting consular access to him as soon as we can so that we can assess for ourselves the condition that he is in and we can keep his family informed.”

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also said the administration doesn’t “have any specific indication that journalists would be targeted.”

The Russian Federal Security Service, the main successor agency to the Soviet-era KGB, arrested Gershkovich for allegedly trying to gain access to classified information and claimed he was acting on orders from the U.S.

Jean-Pierre, during a press briefing with reporters, would not answer a question about whether Gershkovich had ever worked for the U.S. government while lambasting the charges against him as “ridiculous.” The Journal has rejected the allegations against him and called for his release.

“The Wall Street Journal vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich,” the newspaper said in a statement. “We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family.”

Washington condemned the arrest of Gershkovich, who made an initial court appearance in Moscow and pleaded not guilty before he was ordered held until May 29. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he was “deeply concerned” about the arrest.

“In the strongest possible terms, we condemn the Kremlin’s continued attempts to intimidate, repress, and punish journalists and civil society voices,” Blinken said in a statement.

President Biden was briefed on Thursday morning about Gershkovich’s detention, and representatives from the Journal spoke with officials from the White House and State Department on Wednesday evening.

Other press advocacy organizations have condemned the detention, including the National Press Club, which on Thursday called on the State Department to designate Gershkovich’s detention as an unjust detention.

For many Americans, the case is a reminder of the arrest and trial of WNBA star Brittney Griner last year.

Griner was sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony last summer but was released in a prisoner exchange in December. The U.S. traded convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout for Griner, who was detained for carrying cannabis vape cartridges.

Russia has also detained former U.S. Marine and American citizen Paul Whelan since 2018 on espionage charges.

When asked if there is a concern that Russia was encouraged to arrest more high-profile Americans after Griner was released, the White House said the detention of foreigners — and particularly Americans — was not new for the Kremlin.

“This is not a new tactic for Mr. Putin and for Russian officials,” Kirby said. “It’s not new for them to detain Americans, and it’s certainly not new for Mr. Putin to strike back against a free and independent press.”

Gershkovich’s detention is also reminiscent of the arrest of U.S. News & World Report journalist Nicholas Daniloff, who was accused of espionage in 1986. Former President Reagan’s administration argued that his arrest was in retaliation for the U.S. arresting of Gennadi Zakharov, a Soviet working at the United Nations.

The arrest of Gershkovich comes about four days after the U.S. charged a Russian national, Sergey Cherkasov, as an agent of the Russian Intelligence Service. Cherkasov, who is being held in Brazil, is also accused of bank and fraud charges.

Russia passed a law shortly after the invasion of Ukraine last year that prohibits the publication of information related to “discreditation” of the military. About 170 people have been arrested or charged in relation to the crackdown since February 2022, according to the International Press Institute.

Gershkovich has worked as a reporter in Russia since 2017 and joined the newspaper in January 2022, according to The Wall Street Journal.

He most recently wrote about the impact of Western sanctions on Russia, Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow and tensions in the Kremlin involving Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Maria Zakharova, director of the press department for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a statement on Telegram that Gershkovich’s arrest “has nothing to do with journalism.”

“Unfortunately, this is not the first time that the status of a ‘foreign correspondent,’ a journalistic visa and accreditation are used by foreigners in our country to cover up activities that are not journalism,” the statement read.

U.S. lawmakers on Thursday expressed their outrage over Gershkovich’s arrest, stressing concerns over Moscow using Americans as leverage.

“Once again, Russia’s desperate authoritarian regime has taken a U.S. citizen hostage – simply for being an American reporter. Russia must release Evan Gershkovich and other unjustifiably held Americans immediately,” Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on Wednesday.

Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), the co-chairman of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, said the arrest marks an “escalation not seen between our two countries since the days of the Soviet Union and the Cold War.”

“I am deeply concerned that this detention is the latest salvo in Putin’s efforts to use Americans as leverage in his conflict with Ukraine,” Quigley said in a statement. “He failed to successfully use [Brittney] Griner to degrade our support for Ukraine and he will fail again now.”

Source
https://thehill.com/homenews/adminis...ostage-taking/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evan_Gershkovich (person)

[diller]

Fuck no. Have you seen the crap state that area is in? 75+ years of neglect.

Same reason South-Korea wouldn't agree to a united Korea even if it was an option, it would be way too expensive.

[Iphie]

Whaddaya know Yuppie was right for once.

[Fuiking]

even a wrong clock ticks right once in awhile :kappa:

[Santti]

Whaddaya know Yuppie was right for once.

In what way? Haven't we been told some time a go, that Russia was recruiting inmates? Seems like a natural outcome to such practice.

[Corvus]

Wasn't his argument they would terrorise the Ukrainian civilians, not the muscovy ones?

[Santti]

Wasn't his argument they would terrorise the Ukrainian civilians, not the muscovy ones?

Well, it sure would be a tragedy if recruiting convicted criminals by Russia would end in atrocities happening in Ukraine. :|

[Iphie]

In what way? Haven't we been told some time a go, that Russia was recruiting inmates? Seems like a natural outcome to such practice.

As I recall it he said that the criminals would go back to their old tricks, but I might be misremembering, and yeah, it shouldn't have been a surprise obviously. Although I would admit that if I was a criminal who had survived Ukraine I'd probably do my best to not return there, especially since I would never eb able to become a Thief-in-law. (the whole working with the authorities thing.)

Wasn't his argument they would terrorise the Ukrainian civilians, not the muscovy ones?

Those who would escape to the Ukrainian side, yes, but didn't he say those released would just go back to their old ways?

[Kaleredar]

As I recall it he said that the criminals would go back to their old tricks, but I might be misremembering, and yeah, it shouldn't have been a surprise obviously. Although I would admit that if I was a criminal who had survived Ukraine I'd probably do my best to not return there, especially since I would never eb able to become a Thief-in-law. (the whole working with the authorities thing.)



Those who would escape to the Ukrainian side, yes, but didn't he say those released would just go back to their old ways?

I think he meant they would go back to their old ways "in Ukraine" as yet another bullet point of his "Ukraine should surrender" litany.

"Ukraine should surrender to Russia and whatever Russia has in store for them, or the crazy mad men Russia is releasing to use as combatants might do bad things to the Ukrainians!"

[YUPPIE]

I think looking back on it, what I said was it's just horrifying Russia let these people on the loose because they'll rape and kill indiscriminately. Which is what it's amounted to since that previous post was directed at convicts brutally murdering their commanders and going AWOL in Ukraine. Now that we know they'll obviously go back to causing chaos when returning home, we know they firmly have no allegiances.

As a terror tactic - which is what I imagine Putin has on mind - , it is disturbingly effective though. Just the fear of these people being on the loose like wild animals more than anything else; to create unease.

[Corvus]

Assuming this isn't an April fools joke, 3000 horses are being supplied to the russian army to help with their logistics problems.

https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/...932754438?s=20

Got to feel sorry for those horses - they'll be overworked, poorly fed and then eaten when they die from mistreatment.

[Nymrohd]

lol @ Russia has taken the presidency of the UN Security Council

joke organization, bunch of rich folk meeting for parties.

The Security Council is probably the only part of the UN that is not a joke by any means.

[Makabreska]

The Security Council is probably the only part of the UN that is not a joke by any means.

Ye well, the impotence in dealing with one of their members shows otherwise. Like when Russian ambassador interrupted their minute of silence to honor Ukrainian victims. Russia taking over presidency is yet another PR hit.

[Nymrohd]

Ye well, the impotence in dealing with one of their members shows otherwise. Like when Russian ambassador interrupted their minute of silence to honor Ukrainian victims. Russia taking over presidency is yet another PR hit.

That impotence is a feature, not a bug. The council would be useless without Russia and China in it.

[Makabreska]

That impotence is a feature, not a bug. The council would be useless without Russia and China in it.

And it is not useless, when one of their members "suddenly" turns out to be a warmongering bandit state that does not care about sovereignty of other nations and for many years was commencing assassinations, cyber attacks, strong-arming and outright invasions on other countries?

[Nymrohd]

And it is not useless, when one of their members "suddenly" turns out to be a warmongering bandit state that does not care about sovereignty of other nations and for many years was commencing assassinations, cyber attacks, strong-arming and outright invasions on other countries?

Yes, the US should indeed have been expelled after the Iraq war when they destroyed the validity of the UNSC but hey, we are all still here.

[Makabreska]

Yes, the US should indeed have been expelled after the Iraq war when they destroyed the validity of the UNSC but hey, we are all still here.

Somehow I knew you would say that. USA did a crap thing, so now it's a fair game for everyone else. But hey, I'm sure Russia will do well presiding an org that has peacekeeping as one of it's major missions. How many civilian mass graves already discovered in Ukraine?

[Nymrohd]

Somehow I knew you would say that. But hey, I'm sure Russia will do well presiding an org that has peacekeeping as one of it's major missions.

We should not be blind to the fact that whatever world order kept the peace during the Cold War died just a decade after it ended by US hands, not by Russian hands. The US absolutely was the one that made it clear that they no longer believed they needed any compromise or buy in from any other power in the world to act. Russia even supported the Yugoslavian resolutions ffs. Every action Russia has taken points back to that moment of unilateralism and the reason why Russia and China have the support or at least the indifference of the Global South, the fastest growing areas in population in the world, is because of that. I agree with neither action but that is irrelevant. It doesn't excuse Russia's actions but it certainly helps explain them.
But trying to call out the UNSC for being toothless when it was our side that pulled its teeth is ludicrous. It's staying there at least to help prevent nuclear war and to make it easy for the West to bring China to the table on issue regarding Russia.

[zealo]

Anyone that thinks it's a problem with how the UN is structured in that the UN isn't trying to actually impose things on the big boys at the table, ought to look into how things went down with it's predecessor.

It's a forum for getting them to all sit at the same table at least, much more than that can't really be asked without having them decide even that isn't worth their time, and just walk away from it entirely.

[Iphie]

Anyone that thinks it's a problem with how the UN is structured in that the UN isn't trying to actually impose things on the big boys at the table, ought to look into how things went down with it's predecessor.

It's a forum for getting them to all sit at the same table at least, much more than that can't really be asked without having them decide even that isn't worth their time, and just walk away from it entirely.

Yeah, that League of Nations was not the best thing ever, it was also heavily stacked in favour of the colonial powers in order to protect their interests. The idea was laudable, but the implementation was extremely bad.