Biden Calls Gershkovich Family Ahead of Trip to Ireland and UK, Demonstrating Commitment to Protecting Journalists’ Rights

President Joe Biden is set to embark on a trip to Ireland and the United Kingdom this week to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. On Tuesday, the President made a call to the parents of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been wrongfully detained in Russia.

Just before boarding Air Force One at Maryland’s Joint Base Andrews, Biden told reporters earlier Tuesday morning that he had tried to speak to Gershkovich’s family on Monday and said he would try to call them again from the plane. The call happened one day after the Biden administration formally declared the reporter had been “wrongfully detained.”

Gershkovich’s family released a statement through Dow Jones, the Wall Street Journal’s parent company, expressing their appreciation for the President’s call. “We appreciate President Biden’s call to us today, assuring us that the U.S. government is doing everything in its power to bring him home as quickly as possible,” the statement said.

The Biden administration has also designated Gershkovich’s case as a priority, meaning that a particular State Department office will take the lead on seeking his release. Biden is expected to discuss the matter with Russian President Vladimir Putin when the two leaders meet in Geneva later this month.

The President’s call to Gershkovich’s family is a sign of the Biden administration’s commitment to protecting the rights of journalists and ensuring their safety. As Biden embarks on his trip to Ireland and the United Kingdom, he is likely to continue to advocate for the release of Gershkovich and other journalists wrongfully detained around the world.