Blinken says WSJ reporter ‘wrongfully detained’ by Russia
By MATTHEW LEE
AP Diplomatic Writer
BRUSSELS (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says he has “no doubt” that Russia has wrongfully detained an American reporter for The Wall Street Journal who was arrested last week on spying allegations. But he says he has not yet made a formal determination of the designation for Evan Gershkovich. That would elevate the priority of his case within the U.S. government. Blinken also repeated his call for Russia to immediately release Gershkovich. He made the comments on Wednesday at NATO headquarters following two days of talks among the alliance’s foreign ministers. Russia accuses Gershkovich of espionage, a claim Americans deny.