Moscow court extends detention of WSJ journalist

author: FutureCar Staff    

A court in Moscow has decided to extend the pre-trial detention of Evan Gershkovich, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, until November 30. This decision has drawn criticism from the US newspaper and has led to renewed calls for Gershkovich's release. The 31-year-old American journalist was present at the hearing, arriving in a white prison van and being led out in handcuffs.

The Wall Street Journal expressed deep disappointment with the court's decision, stating that Gershkovich is being arbitrarily and wrongfully detained for simply doing his job as a journalist. The newspaper emphasized that the accusations against him are baseless and reiterated their call for his immediate release, emphasizing that journalism is not a crime.

Gershkovich was arrested in March on espionage charges, which he has vehemently denied. Russian authorities accused him of attempting to obtain classified information about a Russian arms factory. His detention has taken place against the backdrop of heightened tensions between the United States and Russia, particularly due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Advocates argue that his arrest is part of Russia's broader crackdown on media outlets.

The Russian authorities claim that Gershkovich was caught red-handed and violated the laws of the Russian Federation. According to the country's Federal Security Service, the US reporter collected information constituting a state secret about the activities of a Russian military-industrial complex enterprise, allegedly acting on the instructions of the American side.

Gershkovich's legal team and supporters have dismissed the charges against him as baseless. In April, the US Department of State formally designated Gershkovich as "wrongfully detained" and called on Russia to release him immediately. However, a Russian judge rejected an application for his release on June 22, leading the US ambassador to Russia, Lynne Tracy, to accuse Moscow of engaging in "hostage diplomacy". Tracy has met with Gershkovich three times since his detention began and has called for his release on multiple occasions.

Regarding the possibility of a prisoner exchange, Russia has stated that it can only be considered after a court verdict and through a special channel handled by the security services. The country has previously engaged in high-profile swaps, such as the exchange of US basketball star Brittney Griner for Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout in December 2022.

FutureCar Staff