2023-06-22 16:18:34
Russia’s judiciary has confirmed the extended detention for the US reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested for alleged espionage. A court in Moscow on Thursday rejected a complaint by Gershkovich’s lawyers, the Interfax agency reported. The 31-year-old works for the US newspaper “Wall Street Journal”. The paper reported that Gershkovich briefly smiled as he entered the courtroom in a dark T-shirt and jeans.
The US Ambassador to Moscow, Lynne Tracy, was also present at the meeting. Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov confirmed that the US has once more requested consular access to Gershkovich. “It’s being checked now,” he said.
The reporter was arrested by the FSB secret service in March in the city of Yekaterinburg in the Urals. He is accused of collecting classified information regarding Russia’s military-industrial complex for US agencies. The Wall Street Journal denies that. Gershkovich pursued his work with official accreditation. The US government is also demanding the immediate release of the correspondent.
The Russian judiciary had originally set the pre-trial detention until May 29, but then extended it until the end of August. If convicted, the American with Russian roots faces up to 20 years in prison. The case further strained the already tense relations between Washington and Moscow.
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