When she was advised the place her son was being held, Ella Milman instantly acknowledged the title. Like many former residents of the Soviet Union, she knew in regards to the Moscow jail’s chilling notoriety.
“All those dissidents going into Lefortovo — the name horrifies you,” she mentioned in an interview with ABC’s “Nightline” that aired early on Wednesday.
Ms. Milman and Mikhail Gershkovich, the dad and mom of Evan Gershkovich, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal who has been jailed in Russia since March, mentioned within the interview that President Biden had personally promised to do “whatever it takes” to get their son dwelling.
Mr. Gershkovich, 31, was detained throughout a reporting journey and charged with espionage. Both the U.S. authorities and The Journal have categorically denied the accusations and the United States considers him “wrongfully detained.”
The Biden administration confirmed final week that it was in talks with Russia a couple of potential prisoner swap that would come with the reporter, however mentioned that the discussions had not “produced a clear pathway to a resolution.”
Ms. Milman mentioned Mr. Biden spoke to them as a fellow mum or dad and mentioned he understood their ache. After assurances from the president and his secretary of state, Antony J. Blinken, she mentioned she felt “very very optimistic that it’s going in the right direction.”
Mr. Gershkovich’s dad and mom have exchanged letters with their son and have twice flown to Moscow to attend his courtroom hearings, chatting with him by a glass barrier at one in every of them. He has been in sturdy spirits throughout his detention, his dad and mom mentioned, joking with them and even teasing his mom that the breakfast on the Lefortovo jail reminded him of her cooking.
In the interview, Mikhail Gershkovich additionally described how dedicated his son was to reporting on Russia.
“He considered it both a privilege and responsibility — that he was accredited, and that he was a foreign journalist, not a Russian. He was one of few people who could report honestly what he saw,” he mentioned.
Ms. Milman mentioned she had frightened about her son, particularly when he printed articles in regards to the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin. She mentioned she needed to inform the Russian authorities that journalism will not be against the law.
Once she will get her son again, she’s going to maintain him shut, Ms. Milman mentioned within the interview.
“I just wouldn’t let him out, anywhere,” she mentioned. “For several days at least.”
Source: www.nytimes.com