Last week Evan Gershkovich was sentenced to sixteen years in a Russian prison. Evan is a journalist for The Wall Street Journal who in the process of doing his job was accused of being a spy and held for over a year awaiting his trial. His conviction and sentencing was ultimately held in secrecy. His trumped up fate speak volumes about the corrupt nature of Russia where freedom of speech and press are restricted to the point of being nonexistent.
Evan attended Bowdoin College in Maine, a highly rated “little ivy” where his professors regarded him as a brilliant and gifted writer. Because his parents were immigrants from Russia he grew up hearing and speaking the language of that country. After landing a job writing for The Wall Street Journal it was only fitting that they would ask him to write about the country from which his ancestors had hailed.
Initially Evan did remote reporting from London where he would reach out to contacts who kept him informed. Eventually he decided to enhance is articles by reporting on the scene. He moved to Russia hoping to get a better view of the people and what was happening there. In the process of gathering information for a story he was accused of spying and ended up in jail.
I have been following Evan’s journey with bated breath. Since I believe that all of the charges against him were faked up by the KGB I doubted that he would be found innocent but I hope against all odds that I was wrong. My worries that there was no way that he might get a fair trial were confirmed last week. I have suspected that his capture and conviction were predicated on the idea that he might be used in a prisoner swap. I see him as a pawn in Vladimir Putin’s unscrupulous world.
Seeing Evan standing all alone in a class cage swaying back and forth as the verdict and sentencing were read was heartbreaking and reduced me to tears. I have taken a particular interest in Evan because he is about the same age as the young men and women who were the last of my students in the public school where I worked before I retired. Most of them are now enjoying success in their chosen careers and settling into family life with spouses and babies. This is where Evan should be right now. He was engaged at the time of his arrest. He no doubt would now be married and thinking of starting a family. Instead his future is so uncertain.
My granddaughter attends Bowdoin College. She will be a junior next year. She has so many plans for her future. She wants to attend law school and explore the world. The thought of something like this happening to her or anyone that I know is dreadful. I would beg our politicians here not to use Evan’s situation as a ploy to sway voters. If they know of a way to get Evan released, then please share what needs to happen right now. This is a young man’s life and it should not be trifled with for any reason whatsoever.
I’ve been watching a multiple episode documentary on the Cold War that traces the path of our difficulties from Russia and what was once the Soviet Union from the very end of World War II when Germany was partitioned between the victorious nations and the Soviet Union took over the eastern sector of that country. I have lived through the fear of nuclear attacks and red scares. I thought I knew most of what had been happening for the decades of my life but I learned so much more than I had ever imagined. The one thing that is certain is that Russia, and in particular Putin, is not our friend. We trust him to our peril.
I am hopeful that Evan’s stay in a Russian prison will come quickly to a close. I think of him often and wish him well. I understand that he has many friends who keep him supplied with letters and hope. I hear that he even plays long distance chess with his father. I want him to know that I will not forget him.
I saddens me that the Russian people are still under the thumb of a repressive government run by people who have enriched themselves on the backs of others. Putin is now the richest man in the world because he has taken the country’s treasure and freedoms for himself. Now he is intent on resurrecting the Russian Empire with his first prize being Ukraine, something that I cannot bear to think will ever happen.
I am united with Evan Gershkovich just as I believe all Americans should be. I am united with Ukraine just as I believe all Americans should be. Let freedom ring for all who are imprisoned under Russia’s thumb. I await Evan’s return to us with bated breath.
All It Takes Is A Little Love 