GENEVA — U.N. human rights experts say Russia violated international law by imprisoning Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich and should release him “immediately.”
The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, made up of independent experts convened by the UN’s top human rights body, said there was a “striking lack of factual or legal basis” for the espionage charges brought against Gershkovich, 32.
The five-member group said Gershkovich’s American nationality has been a factor in his detention and, as a result, the case against him was “discriminatory.”
Matthew Gillett, chairman of the working group, said his view was based on the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which was adopted in 1966 and which almost all UN member countries have ratified.
“The pact is something that Russia has freely signed and accepted its obligations and therefore, as a matter of international law, is obliged to implement the provisions of the pact,” he said in an interview.
Gillett said Russia should offer Gershkovich “adequate reparations” for holding him in detention for more than a year without legitimate basis.
Gershkovich was tried behind closed doors on Wednesday in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg, where he was arrested on March 29 last year while on a reporting trip on spying charges that he, his employer and the US government vehemently deny.
The U.N. group said in its conclusions that because Gershkovich’s detention was arbitrary, no trial should take place. The group cannot force Russia to respond and is mandated to investigate cases in which countries violate the international commitments they have made.
“Taking into account all the circumstances of the case, the appropriate remedy would be to immediately release Mr. Gershkovich and grant him an enforceable right to compensation and other reparations, in accordance with international law,” the UN group said.
Almar Latour, editor of the Wall Street Journal, praised the UN panel, saying: “Evan’s unjust detention is a flagrant violation of his fundamental human rights.”
“As the U.N. task force recognizes, Russia is violating international law by imprisoning Evan for his journalism, silencing critical reporting, and depriving him of due process and other rights,” Latour said, calling on the United States and world leaders to ” to do everything they can.” “I can bring Evan home now.”
Gershkovich, the American-born son of immigrants from the USSR, is the first Western journalist to be arrested on espionage charges in post-Soviet Russia. Russian authorities, without presenting evidence, claimed that he was collecting secret information for the United States.
He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted, which is almost certain since Russian courts convict more than 99% of defendants who appear before them.
The State Department has declared Gershkovich “unjustly detained,” thereby committing the government to aggressively pursue his release.
Russia has raised the possibility of a prisoner swap involving Gershkovich, but says a verdict would have to come first, which could take months.
This story originally appeared on ABCNews.go.com read the full story
