The family of Mr Gershkovich, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal who was jailed in 2023, expressed their “relief and joy” after his release.

“We have waited 491 days for Evan’s release, and it’s hard to describe what today feels like,” the family said in a statement.

“We can’t wait to give him the biggest hug and see his sweet and brave smile up close.”

Mr Gershkovich was arrested on March 29, 2023, while on a reporting trip to the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg.

Authorities claimed, without offering any evidence, that he was gathering secret information for the US.

The paper’s editor-in-chief, Emma Tucker, called his release a “joyous day”.

“While we waited for this momentous day, we were determined to be as loud as we could be on Evan’s behalf. We are so grateful for all the voices that were raised when his was silent. We can finally say, in unison, ‘Welcome home, Evan,’” she wrote in a letter posted online.