Remarks by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield and Danielle Gershkovich at a World Press Freedom Day roundtable on protecting journalists
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield
US representative to the United Nations
New York, New York
May 2, 2024
AS DELIVERED
AMBASSADOR LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD: Good day everyone and welcome. I want to thank you all for making this event a priority today, and I want to thank the team here at USUN for bringing it to life.
And in particular, I would like to thank the Gershkovich family, the Wall Street Journal and the Greek Mission to the United Nations for their support and co-sponsorship of this event.
And I want to thank Special Assistant to the President and NSC Senior Director for Human Rights and Democracy Kelly Razzouk for her presence and support today.
We gather here on the eve of World Press Freedom Day, an opportunity to celebrate the remarkable courage and important contributions of journalists.
Today we mourn the dozens of journalists killed in Gaza; Hundreds more people remain unjustly imprisoned around the world. And as Evan Gershkovich marks his 400th day — 400 days in a Russian prison — the occasion is less a celebration and more an urgent call to action.
And it is a reminder that a free and independent press is the cornerstone of any democracy.
We rely on the media to expose corruption and combat disinformation; to facilitate the exchange of ideas and shine a spotlight on human rights violations.
We rely on journalists and media professionals to get to the truth, tell the world what we need to know, and hold those in power accountable.
This work is as important today as ever as we face new and unprecedented challenges to our democracies, our communities, and international peace and security itself.
And yet journalists around the world are intimidated and harassed.
They are subject to arbitrary and unlawful surveillance by governments, including their own governments.
They face cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns.
And far too often they are violently attacked and unjustly imprisoned – simply for telling the truth.
That was Evan’s crime: reporting on Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine. A war that continues to this day.
His last article, published the day before his arrest, highlighted the war’s negative impact on the Russian economy. A price of aggression that the Kremlin has tried so desperately to hide from its own people.
Locking Evan up should be a sign of toughness and strength. And control.
But the truth is that these damaging attacks from the Kremlin and strongmen around the world only reveal their weakness and fear.
Because they know that history is not kind to those who use violence to suppress dissent.
This oppression always creates resistance; that, like Dr. King famously said that the moral arc of the universe bends toward justice.
I know that hope does little to ease the pain in this room.
Some of you may have lost colleagues on the battlefield. Others may have experienced retaliation or retaliation themselves.
And of course, families like those of Kurmasheva, Tice and Gershkovich have seen far too long without a loved one [daughter] and son.
But know this: Just as Austin and Evan and so many others haven’t given up hope, we haven’t given up hope either.
Every day the United States works to release wrongfully imprisoned journalists and combat impunity for violence and other injustices committed against them.
We support initiatives such as Reporters Shield, a program that counters attempts to silence journalists and suppress investigative reporting; and helps fight lawsuits that seek to intimidate or financially burden reporters.
And as part of our Journalism Protection Platform, we have launched new campaigns to strengthen the holistic security of journalists and independent media companies and support those operating in exile.
In all this work, we draw not only information from all of you, but also courage and motivation.
And it is my great hope that events like this offer you the opportunity to draw courage and motivation from one another.
Thank you again for being here and giving people like me the information they need to make fact-based decisions.
Thank you for asking the difficult questions: including me. And don’t rest until you find the right answers.
And thank you for going into the darkest corners of the world to bring the truth to light. Together – photo by photo, interview by interview, story by story – you make our world more beautiful.
Now I would like to introduce Evan’s sister, Danielle.
DANIELLE GERSHKOVICH: Thank you to Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield for being here today and to everyone who is here to support Evan and journalists around the world who face increasing risks every day simply for doing their jobs.
It has now been more than a year since Evan was arrested. And while I am so grateful for the opportunity to speak on behalf of my family, none of us should be here. Evan should never have been arrested.
My family was actually here last September during the UN General Assembly and it’s hard to believe that we’re back and still demanding Evan’s freedom.
But we will come back as often as necessary, for as long as it takes until he is home.
We were able to see pictures and videos of my brother at another hearing a few weeks ago. These are bittersweet moments for my family.
It’s so nice to see him and know that he’s okay. But it is incredibly difficult to see my brother behind a glass window in a courtroom thousands of miles away.
It’s encouraging to see how strong he is and I’m really in awe of Evan and how he perseveres.
It’s important to him that we see him smile and stand tall in the face of such a terrible situation. He works hard every day to maintain the good spirit we see in these pictures.
But we must remember that he leaves this courtroom and goes straight back to a small prison cell where he is only out for an hour every day – as he has been every day for 400 days now. That is his reality.
Whatever is hard for us, it is much harder for him.
I hear my brother’s voice in my head when I read his letters and I know that we are both strong for each other.
If you had told me, as the bossy older sister of our childhood, that I would be running out of ways to tell my little brother, “I miss you so much,” I wouldn’t have believed it. But that’s exactly where I find myself every week.
We just want Evan home. we miss him so much.
He should be out reporting; do the job he loves. He should be hanging out with his friends, cheering on Arsenal, planning his next trip and giving me his review of the new Dune movie.
My parents and I are focusing our energy on staying positive and doing what we can, like being here today to advocate for Evan.
I believe we are at an important moment right now – ahead of Evan’s trial – when everyone, including the United States and friendly foreign governments, must redouble their efforts to bring Evan home.
We continue to trust that President Biden will do just that with us.
It’s been more than a year now and every day is a day too long. We must do whatever it takes to bring him home now.
We’ve said it from day one and will continue to say it until he’s home: Evan did his job as a journalist, and journalism is not a crime.
My parents and I would like to express our deepest gratitude for the outpouring of support we have received since Evan’s arrest.
We are very grateful to everyone in this room who shares our sense of urgency – not just for Evan’s release, but for the protection of all journalists.
We are grateful to everyone who supports Evan and our family. Thank you for having us. [Applause.]
AMBASSADOR THOMAS GREENFIELD: Danielle made her first public appearance on her brother’s behalf in July 2023 at the National Press Club to mark Evan’s first 100 days of unlawful imprisonment. Since then, she has advocated for Evan’s release at numerous public events and has been interviewed by media outlets around the world. Thank you, Danielle, for your words.
The United States will not rest until Evan and Austin Tice, and all other journalists imprisoned abroad simply for their work, are reunited with their families. We will continue to condemn and hold to account all countries that use the legal system to target journalists, and we will continue to call on all Member States to join the call for Evan’s release and the release of all those wrongly imprisoned.
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