Wall Street Journal newsroom applauds Gershkovich freedom

Video shows The Wall Street Journal newsroom erupting in applause after the announcement of journalist Evan Gershkovich's release from Russian prison. [https://twitter.com/olivialenon/status/1604652792681885698]

Gershkovich, along with ex-US Marine Paul Whelan and journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, were part of a prisoner exchange involving 24 prisoners. [https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/american-marine-paul-whelan-released-russia-prison-n1337961] The biggest swap between East and West since the Cold War. On Thursday, they landed at Joint Base Andrews, greeted by President Biden and VP Harris. [https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/12/07/readout-president-bidens-call-with-president-putin-of-russia-and-meeting-with-recently-released-u-s-detainees/]

"This is an extraordinary testament to the importance of having a president who understands diplomacy and strengthening alliances," Harris told reporters. [https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/08/paul-whelan-marine-released-by-russia-describes-surreal-ordeal.html] "This is an incredible day and you can see it in the families and their eyes.”

Gershkovich, a WSJ Moscow bureau reporter, was detained last year amid Russia-Ukraine tensions. Fluent in Russian, he was accused of CIA ties and sentenced to 16 years for espionage.

For more context [https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/08/politics/biden-russia-prisoner-swap-whelan-ger Shkovich/index.html]: Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan are back on US soil after a historic prisoner swap.

#IStandWithEvan

WSJ staff consistently denounced Gershkovich's detainment, a 32-year-old colleague. They shaved their heads in solidarity, calling his trial a "sham." [https://twitter.com/theFix/status/1569639489542914049]

WSJ Editor-in-Chief Emma Tucker wrote [https://www.wsj.com/world/emma-tucker-letter-evan-gershkovich-7a8c514f?mod=article_inline]:

"We are grateful to President Biden and his administration for working with persistence and determination to bring Evan home... We are celebrating the return of Evan. While we waited for this momentous day, we were determined to be as loud as we could be on Evan’s behalf...We can finally say, in unison, 'Welcome home, Evan.'”