Foreign Relations & International Law

The Lawfare Podcast: Polina Ivanova on Evan Gershkovich’s Detention

Benjamin Wittes, Jen Patja, Polina Ivanova
Monday, April 24, 2023, 12:00 PM
Polina Ivanova joined Benjamin Wittes from Berlin to talk about Evan Gershkovich: who he is, why he has been detained by the Russians, what we know about his conditions in prison, and what it will take to get him home. 

Published by The Lawfare Institute
in Cooperation With
Brookings

Evan Gershkovich has been in Russian detention for the last several weeks. He is a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, and he’s the latest American taken hostage by the Vladimir Putin regime. His good friend Polina Ivanova is a reporter for the Financial Times, a colleague of Evan’s in Russia, and has been an outspoken advocate for his release. 

She joined Lawfare Editor-in-Chief Benjamin Wittes from Berlin to talk about Evan: who he is, why he has been detained by the Russians, what we know about his conditions in prison, and what it will take to get him home. 


Benjamin Wittes is editor in chief of Lawfare and a Senior Fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution. He is the author of several books.
Jen Patja is the editor and producer of the Lawfare Podcast and Rational Security. She currently serves as the Co-Executive Director of Virginia Civics, a nonprofit organization that empowers the next generation of leaders in Virginia by promoting constitutional literacy, critical thinking, and civic engagement. She is the former Deputy Director of the Robert H. Smith Center for the Constitution at James Madison's Montpelier and has been a freelance editor for over 20 years.
Polina Ivanova is a reporter for the Financial Times, covering Russia, Ukraine, and Central Asia, and has been an outspoken advocate for the release of Evan Gershkovich.

Subscribe to Lawfare