• The US government urges to determine if Evan Gershkovich was "wrongfully detained"
• The US summoned Russia's ambassador Anatoly Antonov
• The Biden administration puts pressure on Moscow in light of Evan Gershkovich's capture and imprisonment

Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on Wednesday that he had "no doubt" that a Wall Street Journal reporter arrested by Russian security services last week during a reporting trip and accused of espionage was wrongfully detained but that an official determination on the reporter's detention was still pending.

According to Wall Street Journal, the formal designation would intensify the US government's efforts to secure the release of Evan Gershkovich.

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US Urges to Determine if Evan Gershkovich Was 'Wrongfully Detained'

The matter would then be sent to a branch of the State Department known as the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, which focuses on negotiating the release of hostages and other Americans unlawfully incarcerated abroad.

Blinken told reporters in Brussels, where he was attending a North Atlantic Treaty Organization ministerial summit, that on a recent call with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, he expressed his views on the unacceptable and unjust detention of Gershkovich and demanded that Russia release Evan Gershkovich and another American, Paul Whelan, who is being held on similar charges.

Blinken stated that a plan to return Whelan to the United States had been "on the table" with Russia for several months, adding that he advised Lavrov that Moscow "should move on that."

According to official State Department instructions, "each wrongful detention is distinctive, and there is no single predetermined method for securing the safe release of a person who has been wrongfully detained abroad."

Diplomats, attorneys, and, if available, witnesses evaluate the circumstances surrounding the individual's detention and the evidence that the host country possesses against the individual before concluding.

Rarely is a determination made before the embassy gains consular access to the detained individual. Often, months pass before a decision is reached. The final authority to identify a detainee as unlawfully held lies with the secretary of state.

Despite repeated requests, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that US Embassy staff in Moscow have not yet been granted consular access to Gershkovich.

Russian Ambassador Summoned

On Wednesday, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that Anatoly Antonov, the Russian ambassador to the United States, was called to the State Department on March 30 in reaction to Gershkovich's arrest.

According to him, Antonov met with Victoria Nuland, the undersecretary of state for political affairs. Nearly a week after his arrest by Russian Federal Security Service members, or FSB, lawyers retained by the Journal met with Gershkovich for the first time on Tuesday.

Emma Tucker, editor-in-chief of the Journal, wrote that Gershkovich's attorneys indicated he was in good condition and thankful for the outpouring of support worldwide.

The classification of "wrongfully detained" will prompt US government agencies to form a plan to achieve Evan Gershkovich's release and will unleash federal resources to work on the matter.

It expands the State Department's power to pressure the host nation, monitor intelligence, establish diplomatic coalitions, exert pressure on the media, and advocate for regular consular access.

The Journal has strenuously rejected Gershkovich's guilt and demanded immediate release. The Foreign Ministry of Russia has authorized Gershkovich to operate as a journalist in Russia.

On Tuesday, Jean-Pierre emphasized that the release of Gershkovich is a top priority. The White House declined to comment on whether the United States would contemplate a prisoner swap to ensure the safe release of Gershkovich, the NY Post reported.

The American citizen, whose parents fled from the Soviet Union, was accused of collecting state-secret intelligence on a military factory. Russian officials provided no proof of his alleged offense. Gershkovich may face up to 20 years in jail if convicted.

Related Article: Who Is the WSJ Reporter Arrested in Russia? 

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