Moscow court extends detention of US journalist Evan Gershkovich

A Moscow court announced on Tuesday the extension of the detention of American journalist Evan Gershkovich until January. Gershkovich, arrested in Russia earlier this year on espionage charges, had his detention period prolonged until January 30.

The Wall Street Journal, Gershkovich’s employer, condemned the extension as a “brazen and outrageous attack on a free press.” The 32-year-old reporter, the Wall Street Journal, and the US government have all refuted the spying allegations.

The closed-door hearing, which barred press attendance, took place, with only a few reporters observed waiting outside the courtroom, reported AFP.

The US Embassy in Moscow reported that its officials were present at the hearing. The extension of Gershkovich’s detention was widely anticipated, given Moscow’s infrequent release of individuals awaiting trial on serious charges.

Gershkovich was arrested in March during a reporting trip to Yekaterinburg in the Urals, marking the first instance of a Western reporter being imprisoned on spying charges in Russia since the Soviet era. He has been held at Moscow’s Lefortovo prison.

Both the Wall Street Journal and the United States reiterated their calls for Gershkovich’s immediate release following the hearing.

In a statement, the Wall Street Journal declared the accusations against Gershkovich as “categorically false,” emphasising that his continued imprisonment constitutes an attack on a free press.

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The US Embassy in Moscow expressed deep concern over the court’s decision, renewing its call for Gershkovich’s immediate release. A video from the court showed Gershkovich standing in a defendant’s metal cage during the hearing, dressed in a checked shirt and dark hooded jacket.

With inputs from agencies