A Moscow court on Thursday extended by three months the pre-trial detention of American journalist Evan Gershkovich, arrested in late March in Russia for “espionage”, a charge he rejects.
“The period of detention is extended by three months (…) until November 30,” said the press service of the Lefortovski court in a press release.
His employer, the Wall Street Journal, immediately denounced the decision.
“We are very disappointed that he is being arbitrarily and wrongfully detained for doing his job as a journalist,” the American daily said in a statement.
“The baseless accusations against him are categorically false and we continue to advocate for his immediate release. Journalism is not a crime,” the Wall Street Journal continues.
American diplomacy also called for the immediate release of the journalist.
“The charges against Evan Gershkovich are baseless. Once again, we call on Russia to release Evan immediately,” a State Department spokesman said.
In Berlin, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock denounced the decision at a press conference, which she said reflects “the brutal violence” of the Russian system, where “there is no fair trial”.
The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), for its part, urged Russia “to stop suing the press for (its) work”.
“Each further extension of Evan Gershkovich’s detention is a blow to press freedom in Russia, and an attack on the work of foreign correspondents in the country,” CPJ official Carlos Martinez said in a statement. of the Serna.
The press was not allowed to attend Evan Gershkovich’s hearing on Thursday, which was held behind closed doors. One of his lawyers left the court without commenting, according to an AFP correspondent on the spot.
The extension of his detention was almost certain, the Russian justice very rarely releasing people imprisoned awaiting trial for such serious charges.
Evan Gershkovich was arrested by Russian security services during a report in Ekaterinburg, in the Urals, on March 29.
He has since been held in Lefortovo prison in Moscow, used by the Russian security services (FSB) to keep prisoners in near total solitude.
The imprisonment of a foreign journalist duly accredited by the Russian authorities is unprecedented since Soviet times.
The 31-year-old respected reporter, who also worked for AFP in Moscow in the past, is charged with espionage, a crime punishable by 20 years in prison, but he rejects these charges, as does Washington, his newspaper. , relatives and family.
Russia has never substantiated its charges or provided any evidence publicly, and the entire procedure has been classified as secret. No date for his trial has yet been set.
His arrest comes in the context of serious diplomatic tensions between the United States and Russia, caused by the conflict in Ukraine. Washington supports kyiv militarily and financially against Moscow.
On August 14, US Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy visited Evan Gershkovich for the third time, assuring through a spokesperson that the reporter still appeared to be in good health.
In recent years, several American citizens have been arrested and sentenced to heavy sentences in Russia, with Washington accusing Moscow of wanting to exchange them for Russians detained in the United States.
In December 2022, American basketball player Brittney Griner, convicted in Russia of cannabis trafficking charges, was released against Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer held prisoner in the United States.
Another American, ex-Marine Paul Whelan, is serving a 16-year prison sentence for espionage, and the US State Department again called for his release on Thursday.
Last week, another American citizen, Gene Spector, also accused of “espionage”, was remanded in custody. Few details are known at this stage about his case.
08/24/2023 18:14:34 – Moscow (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
