Western journalists are leaving Russia for their own safety. Pyotr Sauer of the Guardian said he hasn't been able to get back into Russia since the war started. Evan Gerskovich is in a prison. This could be part of a package of a threat to say that if you don't release him you will have literally a shell of a diplomatic presence in Western countries.
Evan Gershkovich’s detention is a callback to the last time a US journalist was accused of espionage in Russia — and to a Soviet-era tactic for manipulating the West.
This episode was produced by Amanda Lewellyn, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard and Matt Collette, engineered by Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Noel King.
Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained
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