总统乔·拜登采访了《华尔街日报》记者埃文·格什科维奇的家人说被不公正地监禁俄罗斯周二，白宫新闻秘书郭佳欣·让-皮埃尔在空军一号上告诉记者。
让-皮埃尔说，总统“觉得与埃文的家人联系真的很重要”。
拜登登上飞往美国的飞机时，在停机坪上对记者说:“我们非常明确地表示，所发生的一切完全是非法的。”对爱尔兰进行国事访问。
格什科维奇的家人说，国务院的声明和总统的电话都让他们感到鼓舞。
“我们感谢拜登总统今天打电话给我们，向我们保证美国政府正在尽一切努力尽快让他回家，”声明说。“除了作为一名杰出的记者，埃文还是一个受人爱戴的儿子和兄弟。在我们的心中和我们的家庭中有一个洞，在我们团聚之前不会被填满。”
美国国务院周一宣布，格什科维奇于3月下旬因间谍指控被捕，美国坚决否认，他现在被正式列为被错误拘留的美国人，这一指定赋予了美国官员额外的权力和资源，因为他们正在努力确保他的自由。
美国国务卿安东尼·布林肯证实，截至星期二，格什科维奇还没有获得领事探视。
他说:“大约一周前，就在埃文被拘留后，我与拉夫罗夫外长通话时，我当然要求立即释放他，但我也要求立即让领事接触他。”“事实上，俄罗斯没有给予这种接触，这再次违反了它所做的国际承诺——这些承诺是国家之间外交关系的核心，也是我们的公民能够安全地在其他国家存在的能力。”
布林肯预测，俄罗斯拒绝给予领事探视将“对俄罗斯在世界上的地位造成更大的损害——尤其是自去年再次入侵乌克兰以来，俄罗斯的地位一直在下降”
白宫国家安全委员会发言人约翰·柯比说，这只是一个开端漫长的战斗把格什科维奇带回家。
“错误拘留的决定，并不一定是从与俄罗斯人沟通释放他开始的。我们在这方面还处于起步阶段过程”他说道。
美国国务院称，美国外交官仍未能接触到在押的格什科维奇，这违反了俄美之间的长期协议和国际法。
布林肯和美国驻俄大使都与对方谈过格什科维奇的案子。
柯比拒绝透露与俄罗斯政府对话的任何细节，但他表示，政府官员“肯定在讨论我们能做些什么来让他获释。”
俄罗斯官员指控格什科维奇从事间谍活动。格什科维奇否认指控，他的律师提出上诉，定于本月晚些时候在莫斯科举行听证会。
Biden speaks to family of WSJ reporter, says detention by Russia is 'totally illegal'
PresidentJoe Bidenspoke to the family of Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter who the United Statessaysis being unjustly imprisoned byRussia, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday.
The president "felt it was really important to connect with Evan's family," Jean-Pierre said.
"We're making it real clear that it's totally illegal what's happening," Biden told reporters on the tarmac as he boarded the plane to depart for astate visit to Ireland.
The Gershkovich family said that it was encouraged by both the State Department's announcement and 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. "In addition to being a distinguished journalist, Evan is a beloved son and brother. There is a hole in our hearts and in our family that won't be filled until we are reunited."
The State Department announced on Monday that Gershkovich, who was arrested on espionage charges in late March that the U.S. adamantly denies, is now officially classified as a wrongfully detained American, a designation that grants additional powers and resources to U.S. officials as they work to secure his freedom.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed that as of Tuesday, Gershkovich has not been granted consular access.
"When I spoke to Foreign Minister Lavrov about a week ago now--just after Evan was detained--I of course pressed for his immediate release but I also pressed for immediate consular access to him," he said. "The fact that Russia has not granted that access puts it once again in violation of international commitments it's made--commitments that are at the heart of diplomatic relations between countries and the ability of our citizens as well to be able to safely be present in other countries."
Blinken predicted Russia's refusal to grant consular access would "do even more damage to Russia's standing around the world-- standing that has been in freefall particularly since its reinvasion of Ukraine last year."
John Kirby, the White House's National Security Council spokesperson, said this was just the beginning of what could be alengthy battleto bring Gershkovich home.
"The determination of wrongful detention, it doesn't start the clock necessarily on communicating with the Russians about getting him released. We're very early in thisprocesshere," he said.
American diplomats have still not been able to gain access to Gershkovich in detention -- a violation of longstanding agreements between Russia and the U.S. and international law, according to the State Department.
Blinken and the U.S. ambassador to Russia have both spoken to their counterparts about Gershkovich's case.
Kirby declined to disclose any details about conversations with the Russian government, but he said that officials within the administration were "certainly having discussions about what we can do to get him released."
Russian officials have charged Gershkovich with espionage. Gershkovich denies the charges and his lawyers filed for an appeal, which is scheduled to be heard in Moscow later this month.
AB
