III 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 385 

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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 28 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 22), 2023 

Mr. RISCH (for himself, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. TILLIS, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. CASSIDY, 

Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mr. CRAPO, Mr. KAINE, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. 

HICKENLOOPER, Mr. SCOTT of Florida, Mr. CASEY, Mr. CORNYN, Mr. 

VAN HOLLEN, Mr. ROMNEY, Mr. WARNER, Mr. HOEVEN, Mrs. CAPITO, 

Mr. GRAHAM, Mr. WICKER, Mr. RICKETTS, Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina, Mr. YOUNG, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. CRUZ, Mr. SULLIVAN, and Mr. 

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

Committee on Foreign Relations 

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 journalist 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; 


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•SRES 385 IS 

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; 

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 Senate— 

2 (1) calls on the Government of the Russian 

3 Federation to immediately release Evan 


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•SRES 385 IS 

1 Gershkovich, who has been wrongfully detained since 

2 March 2023; 

3 (2) urges all United States executive branch of4 ficials, including President Joseph R. Biden, Sec5 retary of State Antony Blinken, and Special Presi6 dential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger D. 

7 Carstens, to raise the case of Evan Gershkovich and 

8 to press for his immediate release in all interactions 

9 with the Government of the Russian Federation; 

10 (3) urges the Government of the Russian Fed11 eration to provide full, unfettered, and consistent 

12 consular access, in accordance with its international 

13 obligations, to Evan Gershkovich while he remains in 

14 detention; 

15 (4) urges the Government of the Russian Fed16 eration to respect the human rights of Evan 

17 Gershkovich; 

18 (5) urges the Government of the Russian Fed19 eration to respect the rights of accredited journalists 

20 to freely and independently report the news without 

21 fear of arbitrary detention or reprisal; 

22 (6) urges the Government of the Russian Fed23 eration to desist from detaining, imprisoning, and 

24 otherwise seeking to intimidate journalists in order 

25 to curtail or censor an independent press; 


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•SRES 385 IS 

1 (7) condemns the Government of the Russian 

2 Federation’s continued use of detentions and pros3 ecutions of United States citizens and lawful perma4 nent residents for political purposes; 

5 (8) calls for the immediate release of Paul 

6 Whelan, who has been wrongfully detained in Russia 

7 since December 2018; 

8 (9) expresses continued support for all Amer9 ican citizens and lawful permanent residents de10 tained in Russia and abroad, including Marc Fogel, 

11 who faces a politicized, excessive sentence for his al12 leged offense, Vladimir Kara-Murza, who has en13 dured multiple attempts on his life and years of per14 secution by the Putin regime, and others; and 

15 (10) expresses sympathy for and solidarity with 

16 the families of Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, and 

17 all other American citizens and lawful permanent 

18 residents wrongfully detained abroad for the per19 sonal hardship experienced as a result of the arbi20 trary and baseless arrest and detention of their loved 

21 ones. 

Æ 


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