Moscow Court Upholds Detention of US Journalist Evan Gershkovich Until Late August

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A Moscow court has upheld the decision to keep Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in jail on espionage charges until at least late August. The American journalist’s appeal for release was rejected by the court.

Gershkovich, a 31-year-old US citizen, was arrested in late March while on a reporting assignment. Last month, a Moscow court ruled to extend his custody until August 30. However, his lawyers contested the ruling.

Before the hearing at the Moscow City Court, Gershkovich, dressed in a black T-shirt and light blue jeans, appeared tense and paced inside a glass defendant’s cage. The courtroom was then cleared of other journalists, and the proceedings took place behind closed doors.

The ruling was relayed to reporters through two large TV screens in a separate room within the courthouse.

While awaiting the judge’s decision, Gershkovich smiled and conversed with his present parents. The US Ambassador, Lynne Tracy, also attended the hearing.

Ambassador Tracy expressed her disappointment with the ruling, reaffirming that Gershkovich is an “innocent journalist” and the charges against him by Russia are baseless.

“Such hostage diplomacy is unacceptable, and we call on the Russian Federation to release him,” she stated.

In a statement following the hearing, The Wall Street Journal declared that Gershkovich had been unjustly detained for over 12 weeks simply for carrying out his journalistic duties. The publication once again demanded his immediate release.

Both Gershkovich and his employer have denied the allegations, and the US government has asserted that his detention is wrongful.

The arrest of Gershkovich in Yekaterinburg alarmed the journalism community in Russia, as authorities have yet to disclose any evidence supporting the espionage charges.

Gershkovich is currently being held at the notorious Lefortovo prison in Moscow, known for its harsh conditions. Ambassador Tracy revealed that the US Embassy has been denied consular access to Gershkovich on three occasions since her last visit to him in jail in April.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov informed reporters that the Foreign Ministry is considering a new visit request from the US embassy.

Analysts speculate that Moscow might be employing detained Americans as bargaining chips amidst escalating tensions between the US and Russia concerning the Kremlin’s military operation in Ukraine. In recent years, at least two US citizens, including WNBA star Brittney Griner, were exchanged for Russians imprisoned in the US.

Ryabkov cautioned, however, that the possibility of a swap in Gershkovich’s case could only be entertained after a court delivers its verdict. Esteemed lawyers who have handled espionage cases informed The Big Big News that the investigation alone could take up to 18 months.

Gershkovich’s arrest marks the first instance of an American journalist being charged with espionage in Russia since September 1986 when Nicholas Daniloff, a Moscow correspondent for U.S. News and World Report, was apprehended by the KGB. Daniloff was released without charges 20 days later as part of a swap for a Soviet Union U.N. mission employee who had been arrested by the FBI on spying allegations.

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More about journalist detention

• Wall Street Journal
• Moscow City Court
• US Embassy in Russia
• Lefortovo Prison
• US Department of State
• U.S.-Russia Relations
• Ukrainian Conflict
• Nicholas Daniloff Case