A Moscow court on Thursday rejected the application for the release of the American journalist Evan Gershkovich and confirmed the extension of his pre-trial detention until August 30 on charges of espionage which he had denied.
• Also read: Russia: American journalist Gershkovich’s detention extended until August 30
After a closed hearing, a Moscow City Court judge decided “not to agree” to Evan Gershkovich’s appeal against his detention, a local AFP journalist said.
In late May, the Wall Street Journal reporter appealed the extension of his pre-trial detention.
Before the hearing began on Thursday, he appeared before the press in the glass cage reserved for inmates, wearing jeans and a black T-shirt.
“We were extremely disappointed that his appeal was rejected,” US Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy told reporters after the hearing.
She said since an initial visit in April, three requests for consular visits to Evan Gershkovich in his prison had been turned down by Russian authorities.
“Despite everything, Evan continued to show remarkable strength and resilience in the courtroom today under these very difficult circumstances,” said the American diplomat.
The journalist’s parents, Mikhail Gershkovich and Ella Milman, who were also present at the hearing, as well as the reporter’s lawyers declined to comment to the press.
Evan Gershkovich, 32, was arrested in Russia in late March while reporting from Yekaterinburg (Urals) and prosecuted for espionage.
The Kremlin says he was arrested “flagrante delicto” without providing any evidence as the file is classified as secret.
Evan Gershkovich, his employer, the Wall Street Journal, and the American authorities categorically deny these allegations, which carry a 20-year prison sentence.
“The allegations against him are unfounded, he is an innocent journalist,” said the US ambassador to Russia on Thursday.
Evan Gershkovich, who previously worked for AFP in Moscow, is the first foreign journalist to be arrested for espionage in Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union. He is currently being held in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison.