A Wall Street Journal reporter detained in Russia on espionage charges lost an appeal against his detention Tuesday, meaning he will remain in prison until at least the end of November.
Evan Gershkovich, wearing a blue shirt, T-shirt and jeans, appeared in a glass defendant’s cage in the Moscow City Court as he again appealed for his release.
He stared at the camera in court with a blank expression.
It was the second time in less than a month that the journalist appeared before a judge after a Moscow court refused to hear his appeal in September due to unspecified procedural violations.
The latest ruling means Gershkovich, 31, will remain in jail until at least November 30, unless an appeal is heard in the meantime and he is released – an unlikely outcome.
The journalist was arrested in March while on a reporting trip to the city of Yekaterinburg, about 1,200 miles east of Moscow, and a judge ruled in August that he must remain in prison until the end of November.
The recent court appearance marked Evan Gershkovich’s second time in less than a month before a judge. REUTERS Fans display banners in the stands in support of American Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. Action Photo via Reuters
Court proceedings were closed because prosecutors said details of the criminal case were classified.
The Security Service of the Russian Federation alleged that Gershkovich, “acting on the orders of the American side, collected information constituting a state secret about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military industrial complex.”
Gershkovich and the Journal deny the allegations, and the US government has declared he was wrongfully detained.
The Security Service of the Russian Federation alleged that Evan Gershkovich, “acting on the orders of the American side, collected information that constituted a state secret about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military industrial complex.” via REUTERS
Russian authorities have not detailed any evidence to support the espionage allegations.
He 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 1986, when Nicholas Daniloff, the Moscow correspondent for US News and World Report, was arrested by the KGB.
Russian authorities have yet to produce any evidence to support espionage charges against Evan Gershkovich. Evan Gershkovich
Analysts have pointed out that Moscow may be using the imprisoned Americans as bargaining chips after US-Russia tensions escalated when Russia sent troops to Ukraine.
At least two US citizens detained in Russia in recent years – including WNBA star Brittney Griner – have been exchanged for Russians imprisoned in the US.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said it would consider an exchange for Gershkovich only after the outcome of his trial. In Russia, espionage trials can last for more than a year.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
