WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday Russia’s detention of Evan Gershkovich and denial of consular access to the Wall Street Journal reporter sends a message that people around the world should “beware of even setting foot” in Russia.
Blinken, who formally designated Gershkovich as “wrongfully detained” on Monday, said U.S. consular officials had not had access to the journalist since his detention on March 29, in breach of its obligations under a consular convention Moscow signed with Washington.
Asked about the case at a news conference, Blinken said Moscow’s actions would “do even more damage to Russia’s standing around the world.”
“I think it sends a very strong message to people around the world to beware of even setting foot there lest they be arbitrarily detained,” Blinken said.
Russia’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Blinken’s remarks. Russia’s FSB security service said on March 30 it had arrested Gershkovich, accusing him of gathering information about a Russian defense company that was a state secret.
(Reporting by Simon Lewis; Editing by Chris Reese and Lisa Shumaker)
