The arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on espionage charges has been extended to November 30, Russian news agency Tass said.
Gershkovich arrived at a Moscow court on Thursday in a white prison van and was led out in handcuffs, wearing jeans, shoes and a shirt.
Journalists outside the court were not allowed to witness the proceedings. Tass said they were being held in private because details of the criminal case were classified.
The prosecution has asked to extend his detention from August 30.
Evan Gershkovich (right) is escorted outside the Lefortovsky Court in Moscow on August 24, 2023. AFP via Getty Images
He has appealed against the extension of his detention.
A 31-year-old US citizen, Gershkovich was arrested in Yekaterinburg while on a reporting trip in late March. The Russian Federal Security Service said Gershkovich, “acting at the behest of the Americans, collected information constituting a state secret about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex.”
Gershkovich and his employer denied the allegations, and the US government declared he was wrongfully detained. The Gershkovich case has been shrouded in secrecy. Russian authorities have not detailed what — if any — evidence they gathered to support the espionage charges.
Evan Gershkovich was arrested in the city of Yekaterinburg while on his way to report to Russia.Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Earlier in August, US Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy made her third visit to Gershkovich and reported that he appeared to be in good health despite the challenging circumstances. Gershkovich was held in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison, notorious for its harsh conditions.
Gershkovich is the first American journalist to face espionage charges in Russia since September 1986, when Nicholas Daniloff, the Moscow correspondent for US News and World Report, was arrested by the KGB.
Analysts have pointed out that Moscow may use the imprisoned Americans as a bargaining chip in escalating US-Russia tensions over the Kremlin’s military operations in Ukraine. At least two US citizens arrested in Russia in recent years – including WNBA star Brittney Griner – have been exchanged for Russians imprisoned in the US.
Categories: Trending
Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
