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The Wall Street Journal reporter and 31-year-old Mercer County native remains detained in Russia, for allegedly trying to obtain classified information, and was detained in Yekaterinburg, Russia's Federal Security Service said Thursday, March 30.
Gershkovich, who grew up in Princeton and played soccer for Bowdoin College, sent out the following tweet in July 2022:
Gershkovich is the first American correspondent to be detained on espionage charges in Russia since the Cold War. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has demanded his release.
Princeton High School issued a statement expressing their concern over Gershkovich's detention.
"Mr. Gershkovich graduated from Princeton High School in 2010 and was an active and engaged member of the community," the statement said. "It has been a difficult for Princeton High School alumni, particularly the many PHS soccer players who were close to Mr. Gershkovich."
According to the WSJ, Gershkovich has worked as a reporter in Russia since 2017. He previously worked at the Moscow Times, Agence France-Presse, and as a news assistant for the New York Times.
Gershkovich was the captain of the Princeton High School's soccer team and earned four varsity letters before graduating in 2010, the same year his team won New Jersey Group III State Champion. He was listed as as third-team all-state in 2009.
The athlete played club soccer for Princeton Union, where he helped to lead the team to the New Jersey State Championship and Region I Semifinals in 2007, Bowdoin's athletics department said.
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