Evan Gershkovich was held in Russian custody for a year and a half before being released in a prisoner swap.
Posted by The Bulwark Daily, Checked
- Sources
- 5 support3 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 90%
The Bulwark DailySep 29, 2026
Multiple tier1 sources (AP, BBC, Reuters-linked coverage) and others confirm Gershkovich was detained in March 2023, held about 16 months, and freed in an August 2024 prisoner swap, matching the claim's 'year and a half' framing.
What was said
… That could be a way, a data point, in and it turned out to be a setup. And so I was nabbed by FSB agents, a hood put over my head, and then, I think some listeners know the story, held for a year and a half and used in a swap. So, one thing to kind of allude to there that you write about in the book, and that you do subsequent reporting on after you get out, is this question of, like, did they actually think you were a spy, right? And, like, the degree to which this was a setup. …
The Bulwark Daily · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. AP reports Gershkovich was released by Russia as part of a prisoner exchange, and Wall Street Journal coverage confirms he was detained in Yekaterinburg in March 2023 and jailed since then.[1]
Supports. BBC (2026) states he was freed 16 months after his arrest as part of a high-profile prisoner swap, and VOA says he was held 16 months in Russian custody before release in August 2024 prisoner exchange.[3][4]
Supports. Wikipedia and Britannica list detention from March 29, 2023 to August 1, 2024, roughly sixteen months, consistent with a year and a half.[5][6]
Context. Sources describe the swap as involving 26 people in total, and Reuters reports Gershkovich's release was an East-West swap in August 2024; the claim's core elements are not contradicted.[2][7][8]
Sources
8 sources: 2 fact-checkers, 1 tier 1, 5 not rated
- 1Who's in the massive prisoner swap between Russia and the West?apnews.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
- 2Evan Gershkovich says his arrest in Russia was carefully planned FSB stingreuters.com · fact-checker · cited for: context
- 3'I was lured into a trap': Evan Gershkovich on moment that ...bbc.com · tier 1 · cited for: supports
- 4Gershkovich's book marks end of chapter in his career ...voanews.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 5Evan Gershkovich - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org · not rated · cited for: supports
- 6list of civilians detained by foreign governments and groupsbritannica.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 7Russia prisoner swap: The long ordeal of Evan Gershkovichdw.com · not rated · cited for: context
- 8Journalist Evan Gershkovich: ‘Being jailed in Russia was pure fear'telegraph.co.uk · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
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