The Journal. - Two Parents on a Crusade to Free Their Son

Episode Date: October 25, 2023

WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich was arrested in Russia in March while on a reporting trip. He is being held in a Moscow prison awaiting trial. We speak to his parents Ella Milman and Mikhail Gershkovich on the eve of Evan's 32nd birthday about their efforts to free their son. Further Reading: - Evan Gershkovich: The Latest Updates on the WSJ Reporter Detained in Russia   Further Listening: - A WSJ Reporter Arrested in Russia  - Russian Court Upholds WSJ Reporter’s Detention  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Seven months ago, Ella Millman and Mikhail Gershkovich got the news that their son had been arrested in Russia. Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, was charged with espionage, a charge that he, the Wall Street Journal, and the U.S. government deny. Since then, Evan's parents mostly communicate with him by mail. And lately, in their letters,

Mikhail and Evan have started playing a game of chess. Each week, one move. How many moves in are you? I made a few mistakes, so I have to retract my steps. And Evan told me if I don't get focused, it's going to take too long. On the previous visit, American Council wrote an email and gave a message that Evan said, please tell dad to move his own pieces, not move mine. Oh, dear.

Made us laugh. Evan is one of over 360 journalists imprisoned around the globe, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. This week, a Russian court formally arrested another reporter, Alsu Kermesheva, who holds dual Russian-American citizenship. How has your life changed since Evan was detained? Our life changed? Yeah, like this role of being public advocates for your son.

On the one hand, I'm just a layperson. I'm not a journalist. I'm not a politician. And on the other hand, I'll do whatever needs to be done. This advocacy or anything else, I'm very grateful that I can do whatever needs to be done. This advocacy or anything else, I'm very grateful that I can do something because the overwhelming feeling is helplessness. Well, you know, I'm a very private person,

very reserved, and now I have to do this, but we have to advocate for Evan, so this is what I have to do this, but we have to advocate for Evan, so this is what I need to do. Welcome to The Journal, our show about money, business, and power. I'm Kate Leinbaugh. It's Wednesday, October 25th.

Coming up on the show, a conversation with Evan's parents. Summer is like a cocktail. It has to be mixed just right. Start with a handful of great friends. Now, add your favorite music. And then, finally, add Bacardi Rum. And there you have it. The perfect summer mix.

Bacardi. Do what moves you. Live passionately. Drink responsibly. Copyright 2024. Bacardi, its trade dress and the bat device are trademarks of Bacardi and Company Limited. Rum 40% alcohol by volume. Evan Gershkovich's parents, Mikhail and Ella, both immigrated to the U.S. from the Soviet Union in the late 1970s. They raised their two children, Evan and his sister, in New Jersey, and they spoke Russian

at home. In 2017, Evan decided to use his language skills to go to Moscow and work for a local newspaper. How did you feel about Evan going to Russia? I was apprehensive, but I'm always apprehensive. And the way I was raised, my father was super protective, but he couldn't protect me anyway. So he just limited my chances and opportunities. And so I didn't want to be like my dad. Well, it was, when he went there, it was 2017. It was totally different at the time. I was excited. I was supporting him. He took a risk to go there. But that's Evan.

Breathtaking, adventurous, curious. That's him. In 2022, Evan joined the Wall Street Journal in Moscow and was accredited by Russia as a foreign journalist. He was on a reporting trip when he was detained on March 29th. Following his arrest, Mikhail and Ella have gone to some of his court appearances. Can you tell us about when you went to Russia into the courtroom and saw him? Well, we were waiting outside, not even sure if we were going to be let in.

They let all the journalists in, and we were waiting outside. And even that, I've seen people being in that cage before. Just prepare yourself not to react to any of it. That cage, as Ella calls it, is a glass box where defendants stand in some Russian courtrooms. When Ella and Mikhail were let into the courtroom, Evan was inside one of these glass boxes. He was wearing jeans and a black T-shirt. He was clean-shaven. Ella walked up. Mikhail was a couple steps behind her. was a couple steps behind her.

Well, I saw him, that's it. Just the happiness. Just happiness seeing him. And when we got a chance to talk to him, it's just like I forgot where I was. I just, we went to this conversation and I just forgot where I was completely. What did you say to him? Oh, we discussed a lot of stuff in that short period of time,

how I'm still being his mother in his letters and how happy he was to see us being strong. And he smiled. I was very happy to just stand one foot behind Ella and watch both of them smile and talk to each other. Even the journalists, the photographers, were not allowed to speak to him. Or there were people leaving and saying,

keep strong, we are with you. It was touching. He smiled, Evan smiled at those comments. How long were you with him? We had like probably seven to eight minutes before the court started. And then shorter, like five minutes after. And then we were told to leave. It's hard, you know, like immediately experience happiness and such.

And then gone. Yes. What did it feel like walking out? Terrible. Hard to describe. Terrible. Hard to describe. It's very difficult just to leave, knowing that your son stays behind. And walking out, there were reporters expecting us to talk. And total chaos. People running after, and total chaos.

People running after us. Total chaos. For almost seven months, Evan has been held at Lefortovo Prison in Moscow. He's in pre-trial detention and will remain there until at least November 30th. Russian authorities haven't publicly provided evidence to support the allegation against Evan. The country has said it's acting in accordance with its own laws. There's still no trial date set. So right now, the main way you communicate with him is through letters. Letters, yes. It's like you're sitting on the couch. You imagine him

sitting there, and it's a conversation. You just get your answers next week. Yes. You just get your answers next week. I try to keep it light and funny, and that's my focus, because he tried to read very heavy literature, a lot of books, memoirs, biographies of people who went through that experience being in Le Forza, And I was worried about it, that it's too dark, too heavy. I recommended a lot of books which are much lighter. So in my letters, I try to keep it lighter. And what's the latest?

He's interested how we are doing. We are interested how he's doing. Yeah. And he's doing. Yeah. And he's worried about us. We are worried about him. So we need to keep our spirits up all the time to make sure that

he's not worried about us. And he's exercising. He's not worried about us. And he's exercising. He's meditating. What does he do for exercise? He gets one hour to walk outside in the size of his cell. It's very small, but it's outside. And he walks there for an hour. He exercises. but it's outside and he works there for an hour he exercises he received a book

with exercises how to use his own weight for that one of his Russian speaking friends sent him lyrics to a Soviet barge song it's about running in place.

He told me that that's very appropriate to what he's doing, what he's exercising. To keep himself in good spirits day to day, it takes a lot of work. And I just can't even imagine. It takes a lot of work, and I just can't even imagine. You know, I have days when I wake up and I'm not myself, you know. And to be in that environment, it takes a lot of effort to keep himself physically and mentally strong, physically and mentally strong to establish routine, exercise, read, answer letters. He writes to me. He's pretty busy.

I also write to him about all the tech news. AI developments and DOJ-Google lawsuit, and Elon Musk going hand-to-hand combat with... Zuckerberg. Mark Zuckerberg. And we will both take sides. You told him about the cage match?

Yeah, and he knew. He's very curious and interested in what's going on in the world and in the tech world as well. But how do you keep yourself going? Exactly the same way. I have to think about it, make myself, not to let myself fall apart. And we have a long road to go, and we have a long road to go and we have a goal. Coming up, marking Evan's 32nd birthday from afar.

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What do we mean by almost? Well, you can't get a well-groomed lawn delivered, but you can get a chicken parmesan delivered. A cabana? That's a no. But a banana? That's a yes. A nice tan? Sorry, nope. But a box fan? Happily, yes. A day of sunshine? No.

A box of fine wines? Yes. Uber Eats can definitely get you that. Get almost, almost anything delivered with Uber Eats. Order now. Alcohol in select markets. Product availability may vary by Regency app for details. Ella and Mikhail are helping in a public campaign to bring attention to Evan's case and to get their son released.

Wall Street Journal editor-in-chief Emma Tucker said these efforts will continue, quote, as long as necessary. And Evan's parents have a powerful ally. Evan went to report in Russia to shed light on the darkness that you all escaped from years ago. Absolute courage. That's President Biden speaking at the White House Correspondents' Dinner,

where Ella and McHale met him in person. We're working every day to secure his release. Looking at opportunities and tools to bring him home. We keep the faith. Bring him home. We keep the faith. And how are the efforts going to get him released? The things that are done by the United States government is done in confidence and doesn't involve...

We're not going to be helpful to the effort. So there's no reason to share the information with us. So you're waiting like the rest of us? Yes, we just rely that on their expertise and the promise. That has got to be excruciating. It is. It is. It is. we take a little bit of comfort from the president's promise. He said that it's personal for him and that he's going to do everything possible to secure Evan's release. And we met with the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken. He gave us also reason to believe that everybody in the administration

is doing everything that they can and working very hard. We just want every American wrongfully detained to be brought back to the States and we understand the pain they go through because this is what we've been experienced. We have the understanding now from our experience. Tomorrow, October 26th, is Evan's birthday.

He's turning 32. How will you mark Evan's birthday? It's definitely surreal that he's over there and we are here. We sent him the symbolic gift that he's going to receive. He's been talking on his letter about his future, that he wants a rescue dog. So we sent him a name tag for

his future dog. I'm getting a wooden chess set, a proper board and pieces to make sure that we have something to show us to play chess when he gets back. Maybe on Evan's birthday you'll say checkmate?

I won't. It's not possible. You're not that far in. I fell behind in chess theory quite a bit. Is there anything else you'd like to talk about? We want him home badly. That's our personal story. It's not only us.

His friends, his colleagues want him back. People want to see justice restored. He was a journalist doing his job. It puts in jeopardy a lot of the freedom of the press. What is your message to the Russian authorities? That journalism is not a crime. Journalism is not a crime. It's really hard.

It's hard, yes. I can't imagine. It's hard. The gigantic forces of the world are between you and your son. Yes. Yes. Hopefully people can listen to us. Yeah.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. That's all for today, Wednesday, October 25th. The Journal is a co-production of Spotify and The Wall Street Journal. If you like our show, follow us on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. We're out every weekday afternoon. Thanks for listening. See you tomorrow.