Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was allowed to meet with his lawyer in his Russian prison. That development was confirmed by the National Press Club on Tuesday.

“We were heartened to hear the news that Evan Gershkovich was able to meet today with his attorney in prison. It has been almost a week since Evan was unjustly detained. During all that time the only legal representation provided to him was from a Russian government attorney. That is a situation unworthy of a nation that this week is also the Chair of the United Nation’s Security Council. We are glad to hear that Evan was in good health. Now the important legal work can begin to get Evan home.”

That’s good news for Evan. He has been held since last Thursday by Russia’s FSB Federal Security Service. He was detained in Yekaterinburg, Russia’s fourth-largest city. The Moscow-based reporter is accused of working as a spy attempting to steal state secrets for the U.S. government. That claim has been widely denied by The Wall Street Journal, Evan’s colleagues, and the Biden administration.

Wall Street Journal editor-in-chief Emma Tucker sent an email to the newsroom after the meeting with the lawyer.

“We are encouraged that Evan’s lawyers…were able to meet with him in prison today,” Wall Street Journal editor in chief Emma Tucker wrote in an email to the newsroom.

“Evan’s health is good, and he is grateful for the outpouring of support from around the world. We continue to call for his immediate release.”

The White House said that securing Evan’s freedom is a top priority for Joe Biden. During the White House press briefing Tuesday, Press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre said, “These charges are ridiculous. Evan is not a spy.” Secretary of State Blinken made a rare phone call to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to express “grave concern” over Evan’s detention. He called for his immediate release, as well as the release of another American being held on alleged espionage charges, Paul Whelan. Evan is being held at the same prison Whelan was sent to in 2020. Whelan is serving a 16-year sentence.

The State Department is working on declaring Evan as “wrongfully detained” which frees up additional resources to help secure his release. The State Department is conducting an internal review of the circumstances surrounding Evan’s arrest and the designation is expected in the coming days. After that, the Office of hostage affairs will lead U.S. efforts to bring Evan home.

Let’s hope that happens sooner rather than later. Time is of the essence. Russian prisons are brutal. Fortunately, Evan is a young man at the age of 31 and apparently in good health. The Biden administration has its work cut out for it in order to bring home American being detained in Russia, especially during Putin’s war in Ukraine. The United States provides more financial and military equipment support for Ukraine than all the other countries combined. Putin no doubt relishes detaining an American journalist.