A year ago today, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich wasarrested in Russia and charged with espionage, an allegation he and theJournal said was absurd. The State Department declared that Gershkovichwas “wrongfully detained,” an official status that commits the Bidenadministration to work for his release.

Journal publisher Almar Latour has played a key role in the legal anddiplomatic effort to free Gershkovich. On this episode of Playbook DeepDive, host and Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza talks with Latour to learnthe inside story of this effort. 

They discuss: how the shadow of basketball star Brittney Griner’sdetainment in Russia is influencing talks to bring Evan home; why aRussian hitman serving a life sentence in Germany may be the key tounlocking a deal with Putin; and how the 2024 election may affectGershkovich’s fate. 

Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.Almar Latour is CEO of Dow Jones and publisher of The Wall StreetJournal.Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio.