Tucker Carlson urges Putin to release American journalist

In an interview published Thursday, Tucker Carlson urged President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia to release an American Wall Street Journal reporter who has been held in a notorious Moscow prison for nearly a year.

Carlson’s appeal on behalf of reporter Evan Gershkovich was only the second time Putin directly addressed a case that has galvanized press freedom groups and strained diplomatic relations with the United States.

Much of the two-hour interview was taken up by Putin’s recounting of hundreds of years of Russian history. But in the final minutes, Carlson asked, “as a sign of decency,” if he “would be willing to hand him over to us and we will bring him back to the United States.” Carlson added: “This guy is obviously not a spy. He’s a kid and maybe he was breaking your law in some way, but he’s not a superspy and everyone knows it.

Putin was noncommittal in his response. “We’ve made so many gestures of goodwill out of decency that I think we’ve run out,” he said, according to a translation of his comments by Carlson’s team.

Pressed by Carlson on the case, Putin later added: “I also want him to finally return to his homeland. I am absolutely sincere. But let me say once again that the dialogue continues.”

The Russian leader suggested he wanted additional concessions from American officials before considering Gershkovich’s release. Putin suggested that he might be willing to swap the reporter for Vadim Krasikov, a Russian national sentenced to life in prison in Germany for the 2019 murder of a former Chechen separatist fighter in Berlin.

Gershkovich, 32, was the first American journalist to be arrested for espionage in Russia since the end of the Cold War, and the U.S. government has designated him as “wrongfully detained,” meaning he is essentially considered a political prisoner. .

He was arrested in March in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg and charged with espionage, an allegation that The Journal and U.S. authorities have strongly denied. Since then, he has been held in Moscow’s infamous Lefortovo prison awaiting trial.

The Journal is owned by Rupert Murdoch’s family, who also controls Carlson’s former employer, Fox News. “We are encouraged to see Russia’s desire to reach an agreement that brings Evan home, and we hope this will lead to his quick release and return to his family and our newsroom,” the newspaper said in a statement Thursday. after the broadcast of the program. Interview with Putin.

Last month, Gershkovich, who once worked for The New York Times as a news assistant, was ordered to remain in prison until at least March 30, the fourth time his detention has been extended. Russian authorities have indicated they could be open to a prisoner swap for him, but only after a verdict in his case.

In December, Valerie Hopkins, a correspondent for The Times, asked Putin at a news conference about the Gershkovich case. The Russian leader responded only vaguely. “We want to reach an agreement, but it has to be mutually acceptable to both sides,” she said, adding: “I hope we find a solution.”

In Thursday’s interview, Putin offered a similarly confusing response to Carlson. “I do not rule out that the person he refers to, Mr. Gershkovich, may return to his homeland,” Putin said. “But we have to come to an agreement.”

“I hope you let him out,” Mr. Carlson responded.