How WSJ’s Gershkovich has friends coming together

Jennifer Calfas of The Wall Street Journal writes about how friends of imprisoned Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich have banded together.

Calfas writes, “Gregarious and electric, curious and empathetic, Gershkovich has a way of bringing people together, according to interviews with about a dozen of his friends and his sister, Danielle Gershkovich. Even while detained.

“Gershkovich’s friends from many parts of his life met each other over Zoom or in group messages in the hours and days after his detainment in March. They gathered at each other’s apartments in New York and Berlin, an image of their friend, a hood covering part of his face while ushered by security agents at the time of his detention last March, seared into their minds.

“The initial days of Gershkovich’s detainment brought more questions than answers, with little information available about his condition. The U.S. hadn’t yet declared Gershkovich wrongfully detained, which, after doing so on April 10, unlocked a broad federal government effort to secure his release.

“Gershkovich’s friends made a website, mailing list and social-media accounts to maintain awareness of his situation. They immediately got in touch with Gershkovich’s parents and sister and launched a GoFundMe page to provide financial assistance for his family.

“His friends contacted the Journal and other news outlets, and tapped into their circles, eager to find anyone who could help.”

Read more here.