The Russian Federal Security Agency announced on March 30 that the Wall Street Journal Moscow Society reporter Evan Gelhkovic was arrested in Yekaterinburg City on March 29 for allegedly engaged in spy newspapers for the United States.
This is the first time that Russia has arrested American journalists for the first time since the Cold War.Russian officials said that Evan Grykovich, 31, was arrested on the spot by trying to obtain confidential information about Russia's military industry as a reporter.The U.S. State Department judged that he was "improper detention", which means that the US government will take everything to rescue him.
International media and Western governments have also supported Gelhkovic.More than 40 members of the United Nations issued a joint letter to the United Nations to condemn Russia on April 17, and called on Moscow to "release those who have been detained based on political reasons to end the severe target of freedom of speech."The United States Permanent Representative of the United Nations Greenfield said: "This statement must convey a clear information: news work is not a crime."
U.S. Secretary of State Broskels rarely called Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov on April 2nd, asking Russia to let people go, but Rafrov reiterated that Gelhkovic was arrested on the spot.Lavrov called on Brinken to respect Russia's official decisions based on domestic law and international obligations, and accused the United States and Western media speculation.
In 1986, Russia also pointed out that another American journalist Nicholas Daniloff was a spy.Some analysts pointed out that the same incident occurred again after many years, which shows the degree of evil in the United States and Russia, and Russia may have another picture.
Cui Hongjian, director of the European Institute of China International Institute of International Issues, said in an interview with Global Information Broadcast that Russia's move is to further expose the long -term implementation of the United States' strategy to Russia, including intelligence spies.This shows that the current mutual trust between the United States and Russia has fallen to a very low level. The relationship between the relationship between the United States and Russia or the model of the two parties is evolving in the direction of the Cold War.
Cui Hongjian believes that this incident not only has a negative effect on the U.S. government, especially the Democratic Party affiliated to Biden, but also means that in the face of the pressure of the United States and the West, there is another more in Russia that can impact the United States that can impact the United States.Card.
Former US National Security Consultant Bolton also pointed out that this is a step for Russia to put pressure on Biden."It is conceivable that this is a targeted hijacking."
After the outbreak of the Russian and Ukraine War, US -Russian relations became more tense.Russia said in January 2023 that US -Russian relations are at a historical low, and there is no hope of improvement in the foreseeable future.In response to this spy storm, Alina Polyakova, chairman of the European Policy Analysis Center, said: "This should be regarded as a real alarm bell, not only for the United States, to the wider West.(Russia and West) can no longer return to the relationship between stability and reliability. "
Russia or retaliate against the United States and intimidation media
Analysts believe that Russia refers to Gelhkovic as a spy to retaliate against the United States or check -in the United States, or both.Of course, if Russia accuses it, the United States will not admit it.In any case, the United States and Russia will definitely have a fierce diplomatic tap in this issue in the future.
This move may also be aimed at the Western media that still stay in Russia to prevent them from reporting the situation of the Ukrainian war and Russia.After the outbreak of the Russian and Ukraine War, many Western media had withdrawn from Moscow, and Gelhkovic also left.
Jeanne Cavelier, head of Eastern Europe and Central Asian affairs, said: "This is the way the Kremlin intimidation is still reporting news in Russia.Faced with spy charges reporting, Russia may become a black hole in information. "Jodie Ginsberg, chairman of the Protection Journalist Committee headquarters in New York, also believes that this incident is Russia's" increasing combat freedom and independent media ".Part of the trend.
In order to consolidate domestic support, Putin strengthened the control of domestic public opinion, and the media may even cause trouble because the Russian war war was "war".It is reported that Russian reporters are facing surveillance, violence and tracking, and some are also controlled by procuratorates; although Western reporters may be expelled or prohibited from entering the country, the situation is relatively safe.
But this incident seems to show that no reporter is safe in Russia.Ivan Pavlov, a well -known Russian defense lawyer, said Russia has broken "the unwritten rule of not being certified foreign journalists."When Gelhkovic was arrested, he held a reporter's certificate issued by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
It also believes that Russia's choice to start with Gelhkovic may be related to his background.He reported that Putin's increasingly isolated and declining Russian economy may also irritate the Kremlin.
Gelhkovic's parents fled from the Soviet Union to the United States during the Cold War. He grew up in the United States, but he could speak fluent Russian.The father of the previous American journalist Dannilov was also immigrants from Russia, and he was also proficient in Russian.
On August 31, 1986, after Dannylov who was ready to return to the United States, he was detained by the former Soviet Union's "KGB" (Soviet National Security Commission, KGB) after returning to a Soviet friend.It is said that the secret documents of the former Soviet government were found on him.
Three days before Dannilov's detained, the Federal Investigation Agency arrested Soviet physicist Gennadi Zakharov in charges.Danilov said in an interview that he confirmed to the former Soviet leader Gorbachev in 1992 that he was the victim of the two countries."Gorbachev replied that this is a practice that conforms to the Cold War Rules, and it is aversion measures for Zaharv's arrest in New York. He said that this is a normal Cold War incident."
Coincidentally, a few days before Gelhkovic was detained, the United States revealed the control document to the Russian spy Sergey Cherkasov.Chelkasova is accused of engaging in illegal agents in the United States as a false identity of Brazilian citizens.In April 2022, Chelkasova was stopped when he entered the Netherlands and repatriated to Brazil. Later, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison by the Brazilian court for identity fraud.
Bill Richardson, former governor of New Mexico, speculated that with a part of Russia's detention of Gelhkovic with teeth.
"equivalent to prison" is difficult
Dannilov was detained for less than a month, and was exchanged by the United States with Zaharov back to China.There is still a long way to go.
According to statistics from legal experts and the US State Department, less than 1% of the defendants in Russian criminal cases are unlimited, and prosecutors can overthrow the innocent judgment by appeal.If the crime is established, Gelhkovic can be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.The release of a previous agreement by the US -Russian government was expected to be the only hope for his freedom.
hostage diplomacy is one of the few areas of the United States and Russia where there is still room for cooperation.Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the United States has negotiated with Russia for three US citizens with "redemption" and successful.
Trevor Reed, a former U.S. Marine War, was sentenced to nine -year imprisonment in Russia. In April 2022, the United States released a Russian citizen who was in prison in prison and returned to Ride.A few days before Russia, Brittney Griner, a American professional women's basketball star, was arrested in Russia due to drug accusations. In December 2022, VIKTOR BOUT replaced her freedom.Paul Whelan, the former navy team player who has been detained in 2018, has not been released. He has also faced spy charges.
At present, there is no Russian spy in the US prison, but there are other Russians.Roman Seleznev (Roman Seleznev) was convicted for data that invaded hundreds of companies and sold stolen online, and was released from prison in 2036.One of his lawyers said: "As far as I know, he is the only Russian they want to change back."
Lawyers pointed out that Shereznetv was a son of Russian parliament, and his health caused concerns, and his sentence was still long.In addition, he was arrested during the Maldives vacation, which made Russia very dissatisfied and accused the United States of "abduction."
How to achieve "equivalent exchange" in a prisoner agreement is a big problem.To take Gelhkovic back, the United States has to propose Russia's consideration of exchanges with sufficient value and minimum influence or controversial in the United States.Due to the severity of cyber crimes and spy crimes, if the United States wants to change to Gelhkovic with Shereznetv back to Gelhkovic, the United States may be rejected.
If it is involved in a third -party country, it will be difficult to reach a prisoner agreement.In the face of spy charges, Huilan has not been released so far. It is said that Russia requested that Russians, Vadim Krasikov, who had been sentenced to a lifelong prison in Germany as a exchange.U.S. officials said that this beyond their scope of power, but the exchange plan they proposed could not satisfy Russia.It is reported that when the United States rescued Ride and Gronium, they tried to allow Russia to "bundle sales" with Huilan, but failed to succeed.
In addition to Klasovicov, Russia may also want to replace spies in other countries through the United States, such as Chelkaso, who serves in Brazil.In December 2022, Slovenia also arrested the two, saying they operated the company as a fake to collect information for Russia.In January 2023, Latvia officially detained the Russian satellite news agency Lithuania Branch, Maraat Kasem, stating that the Latvian citizen was suspected of violating Russian sanctions and espionage.
A paradox of hostage diplomacy is that negotiation and exchange conditions to rescue the hostages are like the behavior of detention hostages in the "reward".In the Grenh incident, some US officials warned that prisoners would encourage Russia to hijack more Americans.The Gelhkovic incident seemed to confirm this.
Qing Blindken said on April 5: "In some way, he must take home the price that you must pay in order to achieve this."
He also warned: "When we are fighting for people home, we may also increase pressure on any person who illegally detains U.S. citizens to get them more severe punishment."
There is an upward trend of hostage diplomacy
The Gelhkovic incident reflected that the authoritarian government showed an upward trend with the practice of detaining U.S. citizens as a bargaining chip.According to officials and private assessments in the United States, in recent years, Americans who have been regarded by the United States have been regarded as virtual or political purposes have been detained, more than Americans who have been abducted by terrorist organizations or criminal gangs.
James W. Foley Legacy Foundation estimates that 54 US citizens or permanent residents are now reduced to hostages or were detained in 15 countries.It also includes American allies such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia.Welfare is a US reporter and was abducted and killed by the Islamic State in Syria.
U.S. officials also pointed out that foreign governments have risen the number of times the number of US citizens and the degree of attention caused by such incidents.
Surprising with national behavior is much more complicated than terrorist organizations that mainly want to obtain ransom or media exposure.According to DARTMOUTH College, US foreign policy and international security researcher Danielle Gilbert observed: "Strong country seems to be more interested in exchange for prisoners; this seems to be Russia and China in these incidents.When a weak country detains Americans as hostages or detention them as chips, they have a wider focus, which may involve many geographical concessions. "
Foreign Policy of the United States magazine reported that the Taliban government in Afghanistan has also seized a number of foreign citizens, including the United States and Europeans.Analysts guess that Taliban may eliminate Western influence when Afghanistan has established extremist values, use these foreigners to change prison, pressure on the Biden government to release the Afghan foreign exchange reserves frozen because of US financial sanctions, or forcing the West to acknowledgeTaliban regime.
In 2015, there were more and more incidents of the U.S. State Department of the hostage of hostage affairs due to the incidents of hostage of US citizens.In July 2022, Biden signed an administrative order, announcing that hostage diplomacy has constituted a state of emergency situation and instructed the government to study response strategies.
Once the United States confirms that citizens are detained overseas, the special envoy will start actions.A bill passed in 2020 formulated 11 standards, as long as one of them meets one of them, it can be determined that American citizens are "improper detention" abroad.These criteria include: whether the US government has reliable information about these people without crimes, whether they have become the goal of arrest for US citizenship or to affect US policies.
Only about 1%of the American citizens who have been detained overseas are improper detention, including Gelhkovic and Huilan.Roger Carstens, President of the United States, promised on April 12 to bring the two back to China.He said: "US President and Secretary of State are committed to bringing Evan Gelhkovic and Paul Huilan back. We will do our best to do this."
