Congressman Boyle 'inspired' by Philly-area family of newly freed Evan Gershkovich

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — To say the last 16 months have been difficult for the family of Evan Gershkovich would be a massive understatement, but Philadelphia-based Congressman Brendan Boyle said the family has kept their spirits up since they first met with the U.S. representative not long after he was detained.

“I expected them to be down. I expected them to be depressed. I expected them to be distraught. I left that meeting and they inspired me,” said Boyle. “It’s truly a special family. And I think that Gershkovich's been able to endure this ordeal the way he has is in many ways because of the family he comes from.”

Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, was arrested and charged with espionage back in March of 2023. He was sentenced to 16 years in Russian prison two weeks ago.

His family lives in Philadelphia and has been desperately fighting for his release.

“The idea he is a spy is absolutely absurd,” said Boyle. “Evan should have never been taken in the first place. His so-called crime was practicing journalism.”

But he went on to say that is often the case in prisoner swaps with Russia. He said Russian President Vladimir Putin incarcerates Americans for nonviolent crimes, while calling the  Russians in U.S. custody actual criminals.

Boyle said they also play games during negotiations, dragging them out.

“The problem with dealing with the Russians, with Putin’s regime, is there are sometimes false dawns. Do you think you’re close? And they purposely pulled the rug back,” Boyle said of the negotiations over Gershkovich and others’ releases.

The Russians exchanged for Gershkovich, businessman Paul Whelan, and journalists Alsu Kurmasheva and Vladimir Kara-Murza, included hitman Vadim Krasikov (released by Germany), Roman Seleznev and Vladislav Klyushin — both convicted of running various cyber and stock fraud schemes — and Vadim Konoschchenko, who was awaiting trial on accusations of smuggling military equipment from the U.S. to Russia and laundering money for Moscow. Four other Russian prisoners were released in the swap from Slovenia, Norway and Poland.

Boyle said he was also happy to see Whelan released in the swap, but that he hasn’t forgotten about Pittsburgh teacher Marc Fogel, who still remains in Russian prison for bringing a small amount of marijuana into the country in 2021. He was sentenced to 22 years in Russian prison back in 2022.