MOSCOW, July 18. /TASS/. As Washington refuses Moscow's requests on prisoners in the US, Russia will take the same measures on its territory, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told reporters.
Commenting on reports that US embassy personnel in Russia are trying to obtain permission to attend the hearing in the case of former The Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich, the diplomat noted that "appeals in his case come now and then." He reiterated that US diplomats were visiting Gershkovich and other inmates jailed in Russia, noting that in addition to just the visits, also at issue is the so-called unbridled freedom to travel across Russia.
"We are experiencing significant difficulties in terms of organizing the travel necessary for normal diplomatic and consular activities on the territory of the United States. And in this situation there are, of course, situations that we see the same way on our side. Any such requests from American diplomats are considered comprehensively, taking into account all factors. This is done promptly. We provide the American side with reasoned explanations. In the case of refusals, they understand why. They see full well the connections here. If they don’t move in the right direction, then that means we do not see an effort to meet us halfway," the deputy foreign minister pointed out.
He emphasized that this is standard diplomatic practice and it does not require further explanation. "I think that if there is a real interest on their part to achieve something in this area, they may well take the necessary steps toward us and facilitate the resolution of the problems that face our embassies and consulates general in the US," Ryabkov summed up.
According to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, "acting as an agent for the American side, collected top-secret data about the activity of an enterprise of the Russian military-industrial complex." In this connection, the journalist was detained in Yekaterinburg at the end of March 2023; criminal proceedings were initiated against him under Article 276 of the Russian Criminal Code ("Espionage"). If found guilty, he will face up to 20 years in jail. Gershkovich pleads not guilty.