A Russian court on Tuesday rejected the request for the release of American journalist Evan Gershkovich, who remains “combative” despite his continued detention on espionage charges which he denies, according to his lawyer. The arrest at the end of March of this correspondent of the prestigious American daily Wall Street Journal for “espionage”, the first case of this kind in decades in Russia, is part of a context of crisis between Washington and Moscow around the conflict in Ukraine.
Appearing in court for the first time in public since his incarceration, Evan Gershkovich, face determined and arms folded, repeatedly smiled at reporters filming or photographing him. The 31-year-old reporter, who himself covered several trials in Russia, was this time on the other side, locked in the glass cage reserved for the defendants, deep marks of handcuffs on his wrists.
After a closed-door hearing, the judge decided to “leave unchanged” the pre-trial detention measure at least until May 29, a journalist from Agence France-Presse noted in court. Despite this decision, Evan Gershkovich remains “combative”, his lawyer Maria Kortchaguina told AFP. In prison, “he plays sports, he understands that people support him,” she added. “He was challenging his detention, he wants to prove that he is not guilty, he wants to prove that there is still space for press freedom,” she continued.
The Russian security services (FSB) arrested him at the end of March while he was on assignment in Yekaterinburg, in the Urals. The Kremlin claims he was arrested in “flagrante delicto” for espionage, without providing evidence to this effect, the file being classified secret. In particular, he was officially accused of having collected information on the defense industry. Evan Gershkovich, his family, his employer and the American authorities categorically reject the charges of espionage, punishable by 20 years in prison, accusing Moscow of attacking him for his work as a journalist.
The American ambassador to Moscow Lynne Tracy, present in court on Tuesday, had been able to visit him the day before for the first time since the beginning of his imprisonment. “He is in good health and in good spirits despite the circumstances,” the ambassador tweeted after the encounter. The head of American diplomacy, Antony Blinken, again demanded on Monday the “immediate release” of the reporter, known for his rigor and his love of Russia.
Since the launch of the Russian offensive against Ukraine last year, the Russian authorities have stepped up repression in Russia against opponents, but also the media.
Thus, new criminal proceedings were announced on Tuesday against the main opponent of the Kremlin, Alexei Navalny, who is already serving a nine-year prison sentence. Now accused of having “disorganized the activities of the penal institution”, he faces an additional five years in prison. While political opponents have been targeted for several years, Gershkovich’s arrest has sent shockwaves, as no Western journalist has been arrested and charged with spying in Russia for decades.
Many observers believe that he could serve in Moscow as part of a possible future prisoner exchange with Washington. In December 2022, American basketball star Brittney Griner, who was in Russian custody, was exchanged for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who was detained in the United States. The date for the start of the journalist’s trial has not yet been announced.
