A spy charge, a Russian jail and a swap for an assassin: the story of Evan Gershkovich

In this episode, Evan Gershkovich, a journalist for the Wall Street Journal, recounts his arrest by Russia's FSB while researching a story on the war in Ukraine. After being set up by a source, he was apprehended in a restaurant and subsequently subjected to a brutal interrogation and a lengthy prison sentence on charges of espionage. Gershkovich provides insight into his relationship with Russia, his feelings about the current political environment, and the stark realities of life in a high-security Russian prison. Despite the trauma of his experience, he maintains hope for the future of Russia after Putin. He discusses how he turned his imprisonment into a sort of reporting exercise, meticulously documenting his ordeal and the conditions in prison. Eventually, a prisoner swap was arranged for him to return home, marking the end of a 16-month ordeal as he reflects on the complexities of his identity and his views on Russian society.