Ambassador Alexei Meshkov,
Your counterpart Anatoly Antonov, Russian Ambassador in Washington, received, this Thursday, March 30, a letter signed by the directors of major Western media who, from New York Times At Times from London, via the washington postTHE Guardianthe BBC or the New Yorkerexpress their outrage at the arrest of Evan Gershkovich, a journalist at the wall street journal and accused of espionage.
We, the undersigned, French media directors from all walks of life, would like to add our voice to theirs.
Evan Gershkovich is, as our colleagues wrote, a young but experienced professional.
An American citizen, he has lived in Moscow for several years and was accredited to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Accusing him of espionage, while he was on assignment in Yekaterinburg, is an absurdity coupled with an offense to the profession of journalist in general and press correspondent in particular.
And this gesture can only make impossible, by criminalizing it, the search for information on the territory of the Russian Federation.
Keeping Evan Gershkovitch in custody is tantamount to taking a hostage.
It is, for the attention of the last representatives of the international press still present in your country, a warning, a threat, even an act of terror.
The announced “trial” would amount to a tragic masquerade.
This is why we demand, through you, the release without conditions or delay of Evan Gershkovich.
Sincerely,
Eric CholManaging Editor of The Express.
Dov AlfonManaging Editor of Release.
Nicolas BarreManaging Editor, The echoes.
Alexis BrezetManaging Editor Le Figaro.
Nicolas BeytoutFounder and Managing Editor of Opinion.
Jean Marie ColombaniFounder and director of Slate France.
Delphine ErnottePresident of France Télévision, President of the European Broadcasting Union.
Jerome Fenogliodirector of World.
Marc-Olivier FogielCEO of BFMTV.
Caroline FourestFounder and Director of Maverick.
Stephane GendarmeNews Director of M6.
Etienne GernelleDirector of Point.
Vincent GiretNews Director of Radio France.
Emmanuel HoogDirector of the publication of Les Inrockuptibles.
Bernard-Henri LevyChairman of the Supervisory Board of Arte France.
Pierre LouetteChairman and CEO of The Parisian.
Frank MoulinEditorial Director of RTL.
Veronique PhilipponnatDirector of She.
Claude PerdrielDirector of the publication of Challenges.
Edwy PlenelDirector of Mediapart.
Cecile PriorManaging Editor of The Obs.
RissDirector of Charlie Hebdo.