IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 377 

Calling for the immediate release of Evan Gershkovich, a United States 

citizen and journalist, who was wrongfully detained by the Government 

of the Russian Federation in March 2023. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 9, 2023 

Mr. MCCAUL (for himself, Mr. MEEKS, Mr. KEATING, and Mr. KEAN of New 

Jersey) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Calling for the immediate release of Evan Gershkovich, a 

United States citizen and journalist, who was wrongfully 

detained by the Government of the Russian Federation 

in March 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; 


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•HRES 377 IH 

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; 

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 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) calls on the Government of the Russian 

3 Federation to immediately release Evan 

4 Gershkovich, who has been wrongfully detained since 

5 March 2023; 


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•HRES 377 IH 

1 (2) urges all United States executive branch of2 ficials, including President Joseph R. Biden, Sec3 retary of State Antony Blinken, and Special Presi4 dential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger D. 

5 Carstens, to raise the case of Evan Gershkovich and 

6 to press for his immediate release in all interactions 

7 with the Government of the Russian Federation; 

8 (3) urges the Government of the Russian Fed9 eration to provide full, unfettered, and consistent 

10 consular access, in accordance with its international 

11 obligations, to Evan Gershkovich while he remains in 

12 detention; 

13 (4) urges the Government of the Russian Fed14 eration to respect the human rights of Evan 

15 Gershkovich; 

16 (5) urges the Government of the Russian Fed17 eration to respect the rights of accredited journalists 

18 to freely and independently report the news without 

19 fear of arbitrary detention or reprisal; 

20 (6) urges the Government of the Russian Fed21 eration to desist from detaining, imprisoning, and 

22 otherwise seeking to intimidate journalists in order 

23 to curtail or censor an independent press; 

24 (7) condemns the Government of the Russian 

25 Federation’s continued use of detentions and prosVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:12 May 10, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR377.IH HR377

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•HRES 377 IH 

1 ecutions of United States citizens and lawful perma2 nent residents for political purposes; 

3 (8) calls for the immediate release of Paul 

4 Whelan, who has been wrongfully detained in Russia 

5 since December 2018; 

6 (9) expresses continued support for all Amer7 ican citizens and lawful permanent residents de8 tained in Russia and abroad, including Marc Fogel, 

9 Vladimir Kara-Murza, and others; and 

10 (10) expresses sympathy for and solidarity with 

11 the families of Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, and 

12 all other American citizens and lawful permanent 

13 residents wrongfully detained abroad for the per14 sonal hardship experienced as a result of the arbi15 trary and baseless arrest and detention of their loved 

16 ones. 

Æ 


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