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The Jewish Federations of North America launched an open letter on Monday calling for the release of detained Jewish journalist Evan Gershkovich. The Jewish Federations of North America, a major umbrella group of Jewish communal organizations around the United States, published an open letter Monday calling for the release of Jewish journal ist Evan Gershkovich, who's been jailed in Russia for espionage charges. Gershkovich, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal's Moscow bureau, was detained in late March by Russian authorities on charges of espionage, which the newspaper and the U.S. government say are baseless. Gershkovich has pleaded not guilty, and the State Department has designated him as "wrongfully detained ," which allows the government to take more actions to secure his release. "We appreciate everything you have done to date and urge you to continue to take every step in your power to bring Evan home. ... For us, this is personal ," the Jewish...

Five Americans are being returned to the United States following a prisoner swap with Iran. Five Americans detained in Iran will be freed on Monday as part of a prisoner swap, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry. MORE: US clears way for deal with Iran to free detained Americans The detained U.S. citizens being repatriated include Siamak Namazi, Emad Shargi and Morad Tahbaz, as well as two others who asked that their identity not be made public. Namazi, 51, is an oil executive and an Iranian-American dual nationalist. He was first detained in 2015 and was subsequently sentenced to 10 years in prison after a conviction on "collaboration with a hostile government" for his ties to the United States. From left to right split shows photos of Emad Shargi, Morad Tahbaz and Siamak Namazi Handout Shargi, a 58-year-old Business man, was detained without explanation in 2018 and released in 2019 before he was re-arrested in 2020 and handed down a 10-year sentence on an espionag...

Five Americans are being returned to the United States following a prisoner swap with Iran. The U.S. has received confirmation that five American citizens freed as part of a deal between the U.S. and Iran are now on a plane headed out of the country to Doha, Qatar, a senior Biden administration official said Monday. MORE: US clears way for deal with Iran to free detained Americans Later Monday, they will be flown back to the U.S. The Americans being repatriated include Siamak Namazi, Emad Shargi and Morad Tahbaz, as well as two others who asked that their identity not be made public. All five have been designated as wrongfully detained by U.S. government. From left to right split shows photos of Emad Shargi, Morad Tahbaz and Siamak Namazi Handout Tahbaz's wife, Vida, and Namazi's mother, Effie, were also allowed to leave Iran in the arrangement, according to a U.S. official. Unlike the other five, they had not been jailed by the Iranian regime but had previously been barred...

The State Department can now more effectively work to free Evan Gershkovich. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has officially determined that Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich is being "wrongfully detained" by Russia, a designation that will allow the U.S. government to more aggressively advocate for his freedom. "Journalism is not a crime. We condemn the Kremlin's continued repression of independent voices in Russia, and its ongoing war against the truth," the State Department said in a statement announcing the development on Monday. "The U.S. government will provide all appropriate support to Mr. Gershkovich and his family. We call for the Russian Federation to immediately release Mr. Gershkovich." Gershkovich, a 31-year-old American citizen who has worked in Moscow for more than half a decade, was arrested late last month on espionage charges. He has pleaded not guilty, and both the Wall Street Journal and the U.S. government have repeat...