Top congressional leaders and the White House are calling for the release of journalist Evan Gershkovich on the one-year anniversary of his detention by Russian authorities.

Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter held on charges of espionage, was the paper’s reporter based in Russia and was detained during a reporting trip in Yekaterinburg by Russia’s Federal Security Service on March 29, 2023. The U.S. government, press freedom groups, and his employer consider him wrongfully detained and his arrest politically motivated.

Gershkovich, 32, is the son of Russian Jewish immigrants who left the Soviet Union to come to the United States in the late 1970s. His arrest has put into focus a growing suspicion of “hostage diplomacy,” in which the Russian government is accused of entrapping Americans on false charges to spur a prisoner swap or other concessions. 

“Forty-five years ago, Evan’s parents, Ella and Mikhail Gershkovich, found refuge in the United States after fleeing the Soviet Union,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) in a joint statement. “Today, Putin is restoring Soviet-style control through repression at home and aggression abroad.”

The Wall Street Journal left a portion on the front page of its Friday print edition blank to highlight the grim one-year anniversary of Gershkovich’s detainment. Meanwhile, top congressional leaders highlighted the importance of press freedom.

“Journalism is not a crime, and reporters are not bargaining chips. The Kremlin’s attempts to silence Evan and intimidate other Western reporters will not impede the pursuit of truth,” the leaders added.

The Biden administration has said securing Gershkovich’s freedom is a priority. President Joe Biden released a statement Friday saying officials will “continue working every day” to bring Gershkovich home.

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“As I have told Evan’s parents, I will never give up hope either. We will continue working every day to secure his release,” Biden said. 

Gershkovich’s detention was extended to June 30 earlier this week. Russian authorities have not detailed what, if any, evidence they have to support the charges.