The Society of Editors has welcomed the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in what has been described as the biggest prisoner exchange between Russia and the West since the Cold War.

Gershkovich, who had been detained in Russia since March 2023 and was last month sentenced to 16 years imprisonment on trumped-up espionage charges was released on Thursday 1 August 2024 alongside 16 prisoners including US Marine veteran Paul Whelan, Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva and Russian-British activist Vladimir Kara-Murza.

Responding to the release of Gershkovich, Dawn Alford, Executive Director of the Society of Editors said: “The release of Evan Gershkovich as well as other prisoners detained on trumped-up charges is both hugely welcome and overdue. We are hugely relieved for them as well as their families and friends.

“As we have reiterated throughout Gershkovich’s detention, journalism is not a crime, and no journalist should ever be arrested or lose their freedom simply for doing their job. The Russian government must do more to respect press freedom and the rights of journalists worldwide to report without fear or favour.”

The historic prisoner exchange is believed to have been 18 months in the making with the swap taking place on the runway at Ankara airport earlier today. In exchange for Gershkovich and other prisoners detained in Russia, eight Russians were released from prisons in the US, Norway, Germany, Poland and Slovenia.

Responding to Gershkovich’s release, the FT reported that his employer the Wall Street Journal had welcomed the decision while condemning the actions on the Russian government.

It said: “Evan is free and on his way home. He was released today in a multilateral prisoner exchange that took place in Ankara, Turkey. We are overwhelmed with relief and elated for Evan and his family, as well as for the others who were released.

“At the same time, we condemn in the strongest terms Vladimir Putin’s regime in Russia, which orchestrated Evan’s 491-day wrongful imprisonment based on sham accusations and a fake trial as part of an all-out assault on the free press and truth.”

Photo: Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva and Paul Whelan after being released in the prisoner swap with Russia