Sacks commended Gershkovich for his resilient spirit. She said in the videos where he made his court appearances, he held strong.
“You could see how he was working very hard to maintain his humanity and sense of self, it requires tremendous fortitude to maintain really your sanity,” she said
During his time in prison, Gershkovich played chess with his father, Mikhail Gershkovich — who lives in Philadelphia — by mail, one move at a time. Gershkovich’s sister, Danielle, another Philadelphian, became an outspoken hostage advocate while her brother was in prison.
“It’s terrible to think of what he had to go through, being held so long, just a terrible thing that he had to endure, so we’re happy that it’s over,” Princeton Mayor Mark Freda said. “He’s a native son and what anybody goes through, I think we all kind of go through and feel for each other.”
Gov. Phil Murphy, who is traveling out of the country, released a statement, saying he is praying for Gershkovich safety and health as he returns home to his family and re-acclimates to life here.
“I’d like to thank President Biden and our allies involved in this complex, multilateral negotiation for their work in bringing Evan and other wrongfully detained Americans home,” Murphy said.
P. Kenneth Burns, president of the New Jersey Society of Professional Journalists, said in a statement that the Garden State’s journalist community stands in solidarity with their Wall Street Journal colleagues “who have done a great job advocating for their reporter while honoring his work at the Journal at the same time.”
“We are relieved to know that Evan Gershkovich is a free man from an unjust conviction in a rigged court trial,” Burns said. “We also want to reiterate to political leaders abroad, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, and here in New Jersey: JOURNALISM IS NOT A CRIME.”
Editor’s note: P. Kenneth Burns, president of the New Jersey Society of Professional Journalists, is WHYY News’s New Jersey reporter.
Post a Comment