Live from Dallas, Fort Worth.
This is WFAA News,
100 days behind bars in Russia d
counting for reporter Evan Grokovich.
His colleagues at the Wall Stret
Journal showing their support
with this front page Friday.
Russia claims Grokovich
is a spy, but there's no evidence of that.
Welcome back to midday.
I'm Cleo Green. Today,
Evans parents are speaking out n
their first television interview
about the fight to free their s.
Only to ABC's George Stephanopo.
How are you
holding up? And that's the
best that we can describe.
And how about Evan? What are you
hearing from him these days? We,
Evan is writing letters.
We have ongoing conversation.
He tries to take care of himsel.
He meditates, He watches his di,
He exercises, He has one hour of
walk outside of that's his exer.
Yes, and I know
in his letters home he's
maintained his sense of humor.
Yes, even teasing you about the
breakfast you used to serve my cooking.
Tell me about that.
He says that the breakfast in
the Victorville prison reminds
me of breakfast at home.
That didn't upset you? No.
I thought it was funny that
I insisted on oatmeal,
you know, that I thought it
was very healthy.
And now it's laughing better.
Gerskovitz, his parents who fled
the former Soviet Union in 1979,
have traveled back to Moscow
twice since Evans arrest.
And at a hearing in June,
we're allowed to speak with him.
We all saw that video of you speaking,
speaking to him. What was he sa?
Joking immediately?
He to my about my story.
I shared a lot of stuff like
that that make him laugh
when I see those stories
about him joking about it.
And it makes me think that
that's a gift to both of you.
Oh, thank you.
Definitely is. When we saw him,
if he wasn't in such strong spis
and joking and looking good,
we we wouldn't be able to
stay strong as we are.
So I I know that he put a lot of
effort and supporting us this
way and we have to do the same.
Kirshkovich was detained by Rusn
security services in March as bg
held on charges of espionage charges.
the US and Journal both firmly .
Evan has pled not guilty.
He considered both a privilege
and responsibility that he was
accredited and that he was a
foreign journalist, not a Russi.
And he could, he was one of few
people who would report honestl.
What he saw were a lot of people
who were working there cannot
say as much as they did. So
you know, it's you're limited
in what you can talk about.
But when you spoke with Presidet
Biden, are you confident?
That the United States is doing
everything it can The governmen.
That's the only thing that we
can rely on and be hopeful.
President Biden spoke to us ande
us a promise to do whatever it takes.
He talked to us as as a parent d
he told us he understands our p.
We also met Secretary of State .
Blinken as well.
He showed us his card with the
names of all wrongfully detained
Americans around the world.
Evans name was.
It was on that list as well,
and he promised to us.
He's not going to rest until ale
names are crossed out from his .
Last
week confirmation of talks about
a possible prisoner exchange. We
saw the news last week that the
Russians came out and said that
the negotiations have started
in the United States. Responses.
We don't want to raise false ho.
That must have been a very
difficult couple of days for yo.
Or was. But well, we understand
that they need to do it in priv.
It shouldn't be public.
We don't know much about it,
but we still, you know, very,
very optimistic that it's
going in the right direction.
President Biden did say that
it's a personal matter for
him because of his son and.
We, we take a lot of comfort and
that's got to make a difference here.
The president of the United States say that.
It does. And you believed him? Absolutely.
Is there any message you have fr
the Russian authorities? Journam
is not the crime.
We want our Sundberg. Yes.
You know, I look at this picturd
I see the headline, The 100 day.
But what I see even more than that is
a young man who's so open and curious.
To the world, what do you see?
Exactly what you just said, you know?
And sometimes it's hard to see s
face everywhere, and sometimes s
heartwarming that he's not
forgotten that people talk
about him, that people care.
And that's nice to know.
What's the first thing you're
going to do when he comes home?
I don't even know. I just wouldt
let him out anywhere for several
days at least.
So right now the White House sas
there is no clear pathway to
getting Evan home at this point.
But we're going to keep
monitoring this story.