World Free Jimmy Wilgus!


Greta Van Susteren demands action on forgotten American left to rot in a Russian prison.


D BY GRETA VAN SUSTEREN


uring a press briefing in Finland in July, President Joe Biden was asked about Wall Street Journal report-


er Evan Gershkovich, an American who has been jailed in Russia since March 29 on charges of spying. This is what the president said: “I’m serious about a prisoner exchange. I’m serious about us doing all we can to free Americans who are being illegally held in Russia or any- where else, for that matter. And that process is underway.” Well, that’s great news. We want Gershkovich home — yesterday. Just like I wanted WNBA star


Brittney Griner home, and to show you how important that was to me, just consider this: I did at least 21 segments on my Newsmax TV show, The Record with Greta Van Susteren, about Russia detaining her. That’s a lot of segments. I covered her detention so much


because Russia holding Americans is that serious. Biden made it happen. He got Gri-


ner home after nearly 10 months in a Russian prison. Listening to the presi- dent’s remarks in Finland, I’m also confident he’s going to bring Gersh- kovich home. But . . . what about a fellow Ameri-


can, Jimmy Wilgus? Jimmy who? Yup, that’s my point. Jimmy who? I don’t think the Biden administra-


tion knows who he is. But you know about Jimmy if


you’ve watched The Record. I have reported many times about him being held in a Russian prison since Novem- ber 2016.


44 NEWSMAX | SEPTEMBER 2023 That’s two years before an Amer-


ican-Canadian, Paul Whelan, was detained in Russia — who the admin- istration has, by the way, mentioned. Wilgus, meanwhile, has been imprisoned in a labor camp in Mor- dovia — about 350 miles southeast of Moscow — for longer than both Griner and Gershkovich combined. Let me repeat: I wanted Griner


home. And I want Gershkovich home. Yesterday. But it is deeply disturbing to me,


and it should be to you, that so far the Biden administration has done zero for Wilgus and his family. Zero. They and their dedicated public-


ity team that works pro bono to bring him home have never heard from the White House. Nothing. Now consider this. Griner was


detained in February 2022, and just a few months later Biden spoke over the phone to her wife, Cherelle. Then, in September, Biden spoke


to Cherelle in person at the White House. That’s two direct contacts in seven months. Biden did the same for Whelan’s family. But for the Wilgus family, nothing.


It’s been nearly seven years. Silence. Read again what Biden said in Fin-


land:


“I’m serious about a prisoner exchange. I’m serious about us doing all we can to free Americans who are being illegally held in Russia or any- where else, for that matter. And that process is underway.” I beg to differ. Regarding Wilgus,


a fellow American, Biden is not seri- ous about getting him home. There is no process underway for Jimmy’s freedom.


Consider this. In May, U.S. ambas-


sador to Russia Lynne Tracy visited Canadian-American Paul Whelan in his Russian prison. That’s the same Russian prison


where Jimmy Wilgus is being held. They both sleep in the same building. But guess who the U.S. ambassa-


dor did not meet with that day? You guessed it, Jimmy. I tweeted about it, hoping to get


attention from the White House. It’s obvious from my tweet and our exten- sive coverage of Wilgus, Griner, and Gershkovich that on The Record, we don’t discriminate or pick and choose which Americans we want to help get home. I’m not so sure about the White


House. Jimmy is so desperate for help that he called me from his prison cell in Russia with a personal plea to Biden. He asked me to record his plea. I


did. And to air it. I did. I aired all of it on June 29. He hoped the president or his staff


might respond. Here’s part of Jimmy’s plea.


“Imagine what it’s like to be me,


CAPTIVE Jimmy Wilgus was born in Rahway, New Jersey. He is a songwriter and musician. In 2016 he was arrested in Russia and sentenced to 12 years in a Russian labor camp, where he remains to this day.


©TWITTER


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