Herewith, via Consortium News, the beginning of an essay by a former British diplomat and university rector. It links in the fourth paragraph to a 2011 Guardian story on the arrest in Russia of a British journalist and his deportation. As of 12 noon EDT it had garnered six comments. — MCM

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Evan Gershkovich & Julian Assange

By Craig Murray | CraigMurray.org.uk

Russia should release Evan Gershkovich; if as part of a prisoner swap it should be speedily concluded.

Gershkovich was arrested in Ekaterinburg while investigating the Wagner Group. Ekaterinburg is one of Russia’s grimmest, most mafia-dominated and least open cities, which I have myself visited specifically to investigate the murders of local Russian journalists.

That was dangerous enough without the complications of a war and the fact Gershkovich was planning to visit the location of a nearby tank factory (it is unclear whether he got to carry out this plan).

I am not in the least surprised he was arrested, but I would have hoped he would simply be deported, or have his visa cancelled like Luke Harding. A journalist from a country openly supplying the enemy in an active war could hardly complain if deported. It is part of the game.

Let us not forget that Russia is still allowing Western journalists to operate inside Russia, while most countries in the West, including the U.K., have closed down all Russian media outlets and canceled the visas of their journalists.

But to charge Gershkovich with espionage for — from what we know so far — simply doing his job, is a major escalation.

I am going to assume Gershkovich was not actually working for the C.I.A. or Ukrainian intelligence. No evidence has so far been produced of this and, so far, I have not seen Russia allege it. If alleged, it would change the game in some respects, but I for now assume that is not in play and Gershkovich was merely functioning as a journalist.

The Biden administration’s problem is that it is in no position to object. Julian Assange is being charged with espionage solely for journalism: there is no allegation he was working for a foreign power.

If Assange committed espionage against the U.S. by publishing national security secrets of the United States, how exactly is Gershkovich not committing espionage against Russia by seeking to publish what it deems its national security secrets?

The answer is of course . . . READ MORE . . .