Moscow, appeal rejection of Evan Gershkovich's release from prison

Moscow, appeal rejection of Evan Gershkovich's release from prison

Black t-shirt and light blue jeans. This is how the Wall Street Journal journalist appeared in court yesterday, Evan Gershkovich, detained in Russia on charges of espionage and summoned to the dock to appeal against the extension of his preventive detention.

However, the Moscow court rejected the appeal, confirming the decision – taken last month – to extend pre-trial detention until the end of August. The 31-year-old US citizen, arrested in March, will therefore be forced to remain in the country Russian prison Lefortovo.

For the FSB security service, the journalist was caught "red-handed" while gathering information covered by "state secret" in the city of Yekaterinburg.

In particular, Gershkovich “on instructions from the United States he was investigating one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex, information that represents a state secret.”

According to the spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, what Evan Gershkovich “was doing in Yekaterinburg has nothing to do with journalism and unfortunately it is not the first time that the status of foreign correspondent, journalistic visa and accreditation are used by foreigners in our country to cover activities that are not journalism. This isn't the first known Westerner to be caught red-handed.".

So far, however, no evidence has been adduced to support the Russian statements, but, if convicted, the reporter faces up to 20 years in prison.

“These allegations are completely false. They have been vehemently denied by the Wall Street Journal, by the US government, by his family. The Russians produced absolutely no evidence.", WSJ editor-in-chief Emma Tucker tells the BBC, which, at the same time, already before the hearing, raises doubts regarding its outcome: “If I'm perfectly honest, we don't expect anything to come of it, but it's really, really important to go through the process.”

Defined by the US State Department as an “unjustly detained prisoner” because arrested on the basis of false charges and for political reasons, Evan Gershkovich - who moved to Russia 5 and a half years ago - could become, if he isn't already, a pawn on the geopolitical chessboard that regulates relations between the American and Russian governments, increasingly critical following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.

“Whatever it takes to get Evan out is going to be a very complicated puzzle. To be honest, the American government doesn't have much influence anymore, it is essentially helping Russia's enemy fight a war against it. So things are difficult,” Tucker points out.

Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Ryabkov, announced that it is evaluating the request, received from the United States embassy, ​​for a meeting with the Wall Street Journal journalist. “The request has been received and is being studied. There is no decision yet.", Ryabkov said, further explaining that the Russian authorities are “in contact with the US embassy on this matter” and the Americans “will be informed” of the outcome of their request.