Wall Street Journal’s Evan Gershkovich is innocent victim of Putin ‘hostage taking’ designed to ‘castrate’ West, say MPs

JAILED journo Evan Gershkovich is a victim of “state hostage taking” designed to castrate US foreign policy, MPs have warned. Alicia Kearns, chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, said the Wall Street Journal reporter had been held on “on questionable or trumped-up charges” and demanded Russia free him immediately. AFPWall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was arrested in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg[/caption] APEvan was charged with espionage in a Moscow court[/caption] She said: “Evan Gershkovich’s case is the latest in a series of arrests by autocratic abductor states of high-worth nationals on questionable or trumped-up charges. “While it isn’t clear what Russia’s intentions are, at best Mr Gershkovich has been arrested for propaganda purposes, and at worst as attempted leverage by Putin to try and lessen American support for Ukraine or to secure a prisoner exchange.” She added: “The Russian authorities have an opportunity to settle this matter quickly and release Mr Gershkovich. I urge them to do so.” The US-born reporter, 31, was seized by secret police on bogus spying charges last week. The Wall Street Journal has vehemently denied the charges and published an article on how the country he loved had turned against him. His arrest was also strongly condemned by journalists globally who have been showing their support with the hashtag #IStandWithEvan on Twitter. US President Biden and PM Rishi Sunak called for his immediate release. Kearns said rogue states used the “tactics of terrorists to castrate other governments”. Labour’s shadow foreign secretary David Lammy demanded the goverment “do all they can” to help the US secure his return. Fellow Labour MP Chris Bryant added: “Foreign Office ministers should be on the phone day in, day out to make it clear that these made-up claims are a tissue of lies. “Free and fair reporting is an essential part of a free and fair society.” It came as a Russian tycoon who fled house in Italy revealed that he had escaped to Russia. Artem Uss, 40, was due to be extradited to America to face charges of busting sanctions. He told the pro-Kremlin RIA Novosti news: “I am in Russia.”During these particularly dramatic days, strong and reliable people were with me. Thanks to them.” Brit dual national Vladimir Kara-Murza is facing decades in Russian jails after he was accused of high treason last year for slamming Putin’s “regime of murderers” in an interview with CNN. Journalists have been using the hashtag #IStandWithEvan to show their support