Putin Declines Interview with Freed Journalist

Russian President Vladimir Putin declined an interview request from Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was recently released from Russian prison. Gershkovich, convicted on espionage charges which he and others denied, sought an interview immediately after his release in a prisoner swap last month.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has declined to give an interview to Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was released from a Russian prison last month, the Kremlin announced on Monday.

Gershkovich was convicted in Russia on espionage charges that he, his newspaper, and U.S. officials have strongly denied. Upon his release in a prisoner swap in August, Gershkovich requested an interview with Putin, according to the Wall Street Journal.

(Reporting by Dmitry Antonov; Writing by Lucy Papachristou; Editing by Guy Faulconbridge)

(With inputs from agencies.)