Evan Gershkovich, a journalist for the Wall Street Journal, was arrested on Thursday by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg on suspicion of espionage.

Described as "professional" and "dedicated", Evan Gershkovich, 31, lived in the UK and traveled to Russia for two- to three-week missions, as NBC News writes, quoted by Notícias ao Minuto.

According to the website we are quoting, the journalist was born in the United States and grew up in Princeton, in central New Jersey. His parents, who speak Russian, are from the former Soviet Union and fled in the 1980s.

On social media, several journalists came out in defense of their colleague, calling for his release.

"Our best friend and professional journalist Evan Gershkovich has been detained in Russia for doing his job and should be released immediately," wrote Polina Ivanova, correspondent for the Financial Times. "Journalism is not a crime. The reports are ridiculous," she added, quoted by the website.

The New Yorker's Joshua Yaffa also praised Gershkovich and described the accusations against the journalist as "obviously false". "News that my friend, colleague and totally professional reporter Evan Gershkovich has been detained while doing his job in Russia. I hope and trust that he will be released soon. It goes without saying that journalism is not a crime," he wrote.

Washington Post reporter Robyn Dixon said that she knows and "admires" Gershkovich, an "excellent and highly respected journalist", while journalist Leonid Ragozin said that his colleague "is obviously not a spy, but a very good journalist". "The Kremlin has taken him hostage," he accused.

Gershkovich has always written very well, according to his friend, but he believes that his passion for journalism came when he worked as a freelancer for English-language publications during his time in Thailand, leading him to feel that his vocation was to write about Russia.

"She cares a lot about Russia and the Russian people," he said.

Gershkovich's LinkedIn profile indicates that he finished university in 2014 and began his career as a news assistant at The New York Times. In 2017, he was hired by The Moscow Times and, three years later, moved to Agence France-Presse.

He was currently working at The Wall Street Journal, where he was hired in January 2022.

In a statement, the Wall Street Journal "vehemently" denied the charges against Gershkovich and said it seeks his immediate release, describing him as a "trusted and dedicated reporter"

The journalist will remain in pre-trial detention until at least May 29. (NM)