Senate Leaders Call for Release of Evan Gershkovich as Reporter Is Formally Charged

The Senate’s Democratic and Republican leaders called for Russia to free jailed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, while Russian state media reported he was formally charged with espionage.

Mr. Gershkovich, the first American journalist arrested by Moscow on allegations of spying since the Cold War, pleaded not guilty, Russia’s state news agency TASS reported Friday. The Journal vehemently denies the charges against him. President Biden and other senior officials in the administration have called for his release since he was detained last week.