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Over the last year, those of you who follow me on Twitter might have spotted my posts about Evan Gershkovich, the American journalist detained by the Russian authorities on trumped-up charges of espionage.
I’ve never met Evan and I hadn’t paid more than a passing interest to the early headlines generated by his arrest until a mutual friend, a colleague of his at the Wall Street Journal, messaged to tell me he was a big Arsenal fan.
“We were wondering if there were any tweets or contacts the Arsenal network might be able to help us with,” he wrote. “It’s crucial in these early days for people to see Evan as an ordinary guy, not just a reporter.”
The request, which included a snap of Evan wearing Puma’s terrible third kit from 2014/15, led to a Twitter thread that travelled far and wide thanks to the support of many of yours and my favourite Arsenal writers, reporters and podcasters.
It was a genuine source of pride the way the Gooner community rallied in support of one of its own.
You may have seen a story this week about a Wall Street Journal reporter arrested in Russia on espionage charges.
His name is Evan Gershkovich. He’s 31. He grew up in New Jersey. He’s a huge football fan.
And a massive Gooner.
(He’s on the left wearing that terrible Puma kit) pic.twitter.com/FW8KLxUjI4
— Andrew Allen (@AAllenSport) April 2, 2023
Since then, I’ve followed the twists and turns of Evan’s situation closely. Global leaders have condemned his arrest, he’s been elevated to the front cover of Time Magazine, numerous journalistic awards have been bestowed upon him in absentia and he’s even had a message of support from Ray Parlour.
All the same, Evan, 32, remains behind bars in Moscow’s notorious Lefortovo prison, his pre-trial detention periodically extended by authorities who’ve not shared any evidence to support the charges he faces.
The son of Soviet-born immigrants who settled in New Jersey, Evan grew up fluent in Russian and had…
Source link : https://arseblog.com/2024/03/365-days/
Author : Andrew Allen
Publish date : 2024-03-28 16:05:31
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