H. Res. 377 

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

June 13, 2023. 

Whereas United States citizen Evan Gershkovich is a reporter for the Wall Street Journal; 

Whereas Evan Gershkovich is an accredited reporter, with a 

history of working in Russia for the Moscow Times, 

Agence France-Presse, and the Wall Street Journal; 

Whereas Evan Gershkovich is known to his family, friends, 

and colleagues as someone who is adventurous, curious, 

and who has an abiding love for Russia and its people; 

Whereas Evan Gershkovich, a trailblazing and intrepid journalist, actively reported on stories across Russia, including the vast wildfires across Siberia, the COVID–19 pandemic, the Russian economy, and the Government of the 

Russian Federation’s unlawful invasion of Ukraine; 

Whereas, on March 29, 2023, Evan Gershkovich was arrested 

in Yekaterinburg while reporting on behalf of the Wall 

Street Journal; 

Whereas, on April 7, 2023, the Government of the Russian 

Federation charged Evan Gershkovich with espionage; 

Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation has 

failed to publicly provide evidence of Evan Gershkovich’s 

criminal action to credibly render a charge of espionage; 
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•HRES 377 EH 

Whereas the last time an American journalist was detained 

on allegations of espionage in Russia was in 1986 during 

the era of the Soviet Union; 

Whereas, on April 10, 2023, Secretary of State Antony 

Blinken designated Evan Gershkovich wrongfully detained by the Government of the Russian Federation; and 

Whereas, on April 17, 2023, the United States was joined by 

46 United Nations Member States in a joint statement 

expressing deep concern over the detention of Evan 

Gershkovich by the Government of the Russian Federation: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

(1) calls on the Government of the Russian Federation to immediately release Evan Gershkovich, who has 

been wrongfully detained since March 2023; 

(2) urges all United States executive branch officials, including President Joseph R. Biden, Secretary of 

State Antony Blinken, and Special Presidential Envoy 

for Hostage Affairs Roger D. Carstens, to raise the case 

of Evan Gershkovich and to press for his immediate release in all interactions with the Government of the Russian Federation; 

(3) urges the Government of the Russian Federation to provide full, unfettered, and consistent consular 

access, in accordance with its international obligations, 

to Evan Gershkovich while he remains in detention; 
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•HRES 377 EH 

(4) urges the Government of the Russian Federation to respect the human rights of Evan Gershkovich; 

(5) urges the Government of the Russian Federation to respect the rights of accredited journalists to 

freely and independently report the news without fear of 

arbitrary detention or reprisal; 

(6) urges the Government of the Russian Federation to desist from detaining, imprisoning, and otherwise 

seeking to intimidate journalists in order to curtail or 

censor an independent press; 

(7) condemns the Government of the Russian Federation’s continued use of detentions and prosecutions of 

United States citizens and lawful permanent residents 

for political purposes; 

(8) calls for the immediate release of Paul Whelan, 

who has been wrongfully detained in Russia since December 2018; 

(9) expresses continued support for all American 

citizens and lawful permanent residents detained in Russia and abroad, including Marc Fogel, who faces a politicized, excessive sentence for his alleged offense, Vladimir 

Kara-Murza, who has endured multiple attempts on his 

life and years of persecution by the Putin regime, and 

others; and 
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•HRES 377 EH 

(10) expresses sympathy for and solidarity with the 

families of Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, and all 

other American citizens and lawful permanent residents 

wrongfully detained abroad for the personal hardship experienced as a result of the arbitrary and baseless arrest 

and detention of their loved ones. 

Attest: 

Clerk.