House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) will bring the parents of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich as his guests at the State of the Union address this week, the parents announced Tuesday, just weeks before the first anniversary of the reporter’s detention in Russia. “We are grateful to Speaker Johnson for inviting us to attend the State of the Union and for providing the opportunity to highlight Evan’s wrongful detention,” Elia Milman and Mikhail Gershkovich told the Journal. “We’re also grateful to President Biden for his continued work on Evan’s behalf. Evan is an American, and he was doing his job as a journalist. He is most importantly a beloved son and brother, and we want him home.” Johnson said hosting Gershkovich’s parents would “shine a spotlight on the unjust detention of their son.” He added: “The United States must always stand for freedom of the press around the world, especially in places like Russia, where it is under assault. The Administration must bring Evan home.” Russian President Vladimir Putin told Tucker Carlson he wanted to see Gershkovich released following talks with the U.S., though a Russian court extended the reporter’s detention a fourth time in January.
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