Evan Gershkovich: Appeal rejected by Moscow court

A Moscow court on Tuesday rejected the latest appeal by US reporter Evan Gershkovich against his pre-trial detention, more than a year after he was arrested on spying charges.

The Wall Street Journal reporter was arrested on March 29, 2023 in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg. He was charged with espionage shortly after — an accusation denied by Gershkovich, his employer and the US government.

"It continues to be outrageous that Evan has been wrongfully detained by the Russian government for more than a year," the WSJ said. 

No trial date has been set.

Russia's FSB security agency said he was accused of gathering information on "the activities of one of the enterprises of the military-defense complex" in Russia "for the American side."

Authorities have not provided any evidence to support the espionage charges.

The 32-year-old journalist has since been imprisoned in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison, which is notorious for its harsh conditions. He is yet to face a trial and his pre-trial detention was extended this March until June 30.

If convicted, Gershkovich, a US national, could face up to 20 years in prison. Gershkovich is the first journalist to be arrested on such charges since the Cold War and the Russian authorities has not provided any evidence to back its claim.

President Vladimir Putin has suggested that Gershkovich could be released in exchange for a Russian prisoner held in the US, but no such deal has materialized as of yet.
The son of Soviet emigres who settled in New Jersey, Gershkovich moved to Russia in 2017 to work for The Moscow Times newspaper before being hired by the Journal in 2022.

rm/lo (Reuters, AP, AFP)