An announcement from Publisher and CEO William Lewis, Executive Editor Matt Murray and Opinions Editor David Shipley:
We are relieved and grateful to learn today of the release of several hostages who were unjustly held in Russia, including Washington Post Opinion contributor Vladimir Kara-Murza, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reporter Alsu Kurmasheva. We are thankful for the work of democracies around the world, government officials and all who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make this long-awaited moment possible.
We must continue to champion the safe return of American journalist Austin Tice and all wrongfully detained journalists and hostages. Independent journalism is a critical function of democracy. The U.S. government must make it a priority to bring them all home safely and champion the importance of press freedom worldwide.
