海角大神

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has been incarcerated in Russia for more than two weeks, and the outward appearance is grim. He鈥檚 been formally charged with espionage 鈥� an allegation both the Journal and U.S. government reject 鈥� and is聽聽23 hours a day.

This week, the State Department designated Mr. Gershkovich as 鈥渨rongfully detained,鈥� escalating his case to its office of hostage affairs. He could be in for a long haul.

But at least one thing has been going right: the ability of Journal editors and fellow journalists to keep Mr. Gershkovich鈥檚 plight in the public spotlight.聽This morning, the Journal posted a聽聽with his family 鈥� his Soviet Jewish 茅migr茅 parents and his sister 鈥� that made one thing clear: This American-born reporter has an abiding love of his heritage and an adventurous spirit that led him to keep telling Russia鈥檚 story despite the risks.

鈥淗e loves the Russian people,鈥� said Ella Milman, Mr. Gershkovich鈥檚 mother. 鈥淗e said, 鈥業鈥檓 just one of the few left there鈥欌�� 鈥� referring to American journalists in Russia after the invasion of Ukraine 鈥� and felt it was his 鈥渄uty鈥� to stay.

Mr. Gershkovich wanted to convey the 鈥渘uance鈥� and 鈥渂eauty鈥� of the country and its culture, despite Russia鈥檚 image in American media as a 鈥渢errifying, cold place,鈥� his sister, Danielle, said.

A Russian prison monitor who visited the reporter聽聽that he was 鈥渃heerful鈥� and reading the novel 鈥淟ife and Fate,鈥� a Soviet-era classic about wartime society. Mr. Gershkovich鈥檚 friends speak of his sense of humor and fluent Russian as major assets.

His mother says the family remains hopeful: 鈥淚t鈥檚 one of the American qualities that we absorbed 鈥� be optimistic, believe in happy ending, and that鈥檚 where we stand right now. But I am not stupid. I understand what鈥檚 involved. But that鈥檚 what I choose to believe.鈥�