It’s been almost two weeks since Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was detained in Russia, and the United States still knows very little about his well-being and the treatment he’s getting while behind bars.
Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens said that officials don’t really “have a sense” of what the detained reporter is going through inside his cell at Lefortovo, a notorious prison in Moscow. And that’s primarily because officials have not been able to meet with Gershkovich or gain consular access to him, he told CBS News on Wednesday.
Carstens comments come just days after the United States formally declared Gershkovich a “wrongfully detained” American citizen. The designation means there will be a dedicated State Department office taking lead on securing his release. It also elevates the case to a higher priority within the U.S. government.
