Evan Gershkovich - The heartbreak behind the headlines for the family of US journalist detained in Russia
The parents of Evan Gershkovich say they remain hopeful for the journalists release from a Russian prison.
Image: The Riverine Grazier / Krista Schade
By Krista Schade
The capture of US-based journalist Evan Gershkovich by Russia has rightly become an international incident, but behind the headlines and politics is a family desperate to see their son returned safely to them.
“I can’t even imagine how hard it is for him to fight every day to keep himself mentally and physically strong,” his mother said.
Without warning I found myself in a room in Washington DC, sitting across from Evan’s parents Ella and Mikhail, the worry on their faces evident to all. They were in Washington as part of The Wall Street Journal’s campaign to raise awareness to Evan’s plight, and the strain of the past months was clearly etched on their faces.
In March, while covering the war in the Ukraine, 32-year-old Evan was accused of espionage and imprisoned by the Russia’s Federal Security Service.
The US government has condemned the capture, using the political term ‘unlawful detention’ to describe what is essentially a hostage situation. There are claims the Kremlin will go through with a sham trial, where Evan will be found guilty, and then be offered up as part of a prisoner exchange.
The precedent is not unusual; last year US basketball player Brittney Griner was detained in Russia on drugs charges during off-season matches, and swapped for a convicted arm dealer, but the US says it doesn’t have a lot of Russian convicts to offer.
The fact that Evan is the first US journalist to be detained since the Cold War will be cold comfort to his family.
Mikhail and Ella faced us with a sadness that enveloped them and touched us all. Yet they sat before us, freely answering our questions and giving their time.
They implored us all not to forget their son.
They told us, a group of journalists from various media outlets across Australia, that they still cling to hope for Evan’s safe release.
“We are holding up,” Ella said when asked how the family was feeling. “What else can we do?”
“We need to fight for Evan and be present for him. There is no other choice for us.”
Her small, helpless shrug as she delivered these words conveyed so much more than the sad words.
The family has been permitted to see Evan and say they receive letters from him each week, supplemented with reports from the US ambassador.
“Hope is something we have to have,” Mikhail said. “The normalisation of Russia using him in this game is absolutely horrible.
“Not just for journalism and press but for democracy in the world.”
These quietly spoken couple have found themselves in an unbelievable situation where their son’s capture and detention is world-wide news. Their child has become a pawn in an international game of arrogance and ego.
When asked to describe Evan as a person, Ella simply replied “He’s my son.”
“He was always a curious child. Trying to learn a lot, and he has this people skill - he could go into rural areas with just a translator and managed to talk to them and get to know them.
“One of his friends called him a ‘people magnet’. He is very generous.”
She is unapologetically proud of his journalistic skills and achievements and described his job at The Wall Street Journal as his ‘The job of his dreams’.
“He is always keenly interested in people,” Mikhail said. ‘He is always very focussed on his goals.
“When he was a child, I remember I came home one night and he told me I had to go out with him and practise his soccer. I told him I just came home from work. I’m hungry and tired and I don’t feel like practising soccer.
“He told me ‘Well I just got in from school and I am hungry and tired and I am going to practise so you need to too.’”
Mikhail and Ella Gerskovich. Image: The Riverine Grazier / Krista Schade.
The small smile on the face of the grieving father as he recalled the childhood memory was bittersweet.
The legal process in Russia is not open, nor transparent and even the legal team in Russia who have been engaged by the Wall Street Journal to act on Evan’s behalf are unable to fully share details of the case with the lawyers back home. They are working on the case at significant personal risk. The situation must be surreal and terrifying for all involved.
That human side of this cannot be forgotten, as nations jostle to negotiate and flex their political muscle. This is a story about parents working frantically and tirelessly for their child.
Watching these parents speak of their son was something I felt in my soul. As a parent I can only imagine their heartbreak and endless nausea-inducing apprehension, and as a journalist and publisher it is a warning to us all.
On December 4, 2023 it will be Evan Gershkovich’s 250th day in prison.
Behind the political jostling we must not forget it will also mark 250 days of heartache and suffering for his family.
#FreeEvan #IStandWith Evan
