For the third time since Gershkovich’s arrest in late March 2023, Moscow authorities have chosen to extend his detention, reports The Wall Street Journal and other media. This latest ruling means Gershkovich will stay behind bars until at least January 30, 2024, by which time he will have spent ten months in Russian custody.
Both the US government and Gershkovich’s employer, The Wall Street Journal, vehemently deny the espionage charges.
“Evan has now been unjustly imprisoned for nearly 250 days, and every day is a day too long,” the Journal said in a statement. “The accusations against him are categorically false and his continued imprisonment is a brazen and outrageous attack on a free press, which is critical for a free society.”
The US Embassy in Moscow also issued a statement in response to the latest development. “Today, US Embassy representatives attended the hearing of wrongfully detained WSJ journalist Evan Gershkovich at the Lefortovo Court. We are deeply concerned by the court’s decision to extend his detention for an additional two months,” it said on its Telegram messaging service channel, reported the Journal. “Evan has already been in pretrial detention without legal grounds for almost eight months. We reiterate our call for Evan’s immediate release.”
According to The Associated Press, the November 28 hearing “took place behind closed doors because authorities say details of the criminal case against the American journalist are classified.”
Russian authorities have so far not presented any evidence to support their charges of espionage.
