WASHINGTON (Reuters) – World Bank President Malpass said on Thursday that Russia’s detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovic was a “shameless act”.
Last week, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) charged Gershkovic on suspicion of espionage. Several Russian news agencies reported on the 7th that he denied the charges and said he was working as a reporter.
The FSB announced on March 30 that it had detained the journalist Gershkovic in Yekaterinburg, Ural Federal District, and opened an investigation into an espionage case that gathered state secrets about a military industrial complex.
“It is a shameless act by Russia, in violation of the freedom of the press that the World Bank Group has long declared to be essential, including the safety of journalists,” Malpass told reporters. as possible.
“A free press increases transparency and accountability. It checks governance, exposes corruption, communicates ideas and fosters innovation,” said Malpass.
