Moscow denounced on Sunday the “media uproar” in the West caused by the arrest Thursday of an American journalist in Russia, reaffirming its accusations of espionage against him and swearing that he would be tried in court, while Washington has again demanded his release.
Three days after the detention of Evan Gershkovich, a journalist for the Wall Street Journal, the heads of Russian and American diplomacy, Sergei Lavrov and Antony Blinken, exchanged about him “at the initiative” of Washington, according to Moscow .
“It is unacceptable that Washington officials and Western media are creating a fuss with the clear intention of giving this affair a political dimension,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The arrest of Mr. Gershkovich comes in a context of increased repression in Russia against the press since the offensive against Ukraine, which has greatly strained relations between Moscow and Washington.
His case is unprecedented in the country’s recent history and has caused a stir in the West.
During this rare call on Sunday, Mr. Lavrov repeated to his American counterpart, Antony Blinken, the accusations of espionage made since Thursday by the Russian authorities.
“Mr. Gershkovich was caught in the act while trying to obtain secret information,” the Russian minister told Mr. Blinken, calling for “respect for the decisions of the Russian authorities”.
Ignoring criticism, he thus recalled the procedure: “In the light of the established facts (…), his subsequent fate will be determined by a court”, without giving more details.
Mr. Blinken, for his part, demanded the “immediate” release of the American journalist, denouncing an “unacceptable detention”, according to a spokesperson.
On Friday, US President Joe Biden had asked Moscow to “let go” of Mr. Gershkovich.
Evan Gershkovich, a 31-year-old Russian-speaking reporter known for his thoroughness, denied the charges against him on Thursday during a hearing in a Moscow court, according to the Russian news agency Tass.
The American journalist has nevertheless been remanded in custody in a Moscow prison until May 29, a measure which may be extended pending a possible trial.
According to Tass, the case has been classified as “secret”, which restricts the publication of information about it.
The only detail available at this stage: the Russian security services of the FSB announced that they had “thwarted an illegal activity” by arresting Evan Gershkovich in Ekaterinburg (Urals), on an unspecified date.
The Russian security services say they suspect him of “espionage for the benefit of the United States”, accusing him in particular of having collected information “on a company of the Russian military-industrial complex”.
According to Article 276 of the Russian Criminal Code, the journalist theoretically faces up to 20 years in prison.
Since Thursday, Western politicians and NGOs defending human rights and the press have strongly denounced the arrest of the American journalist by the Russian authorities, “a purge” symbol “of the systematic contempt” of the Kremlin “for the freedom of the media” in their eyes.
On its website, the Wall Street Journal called for the release of its journalist and “forcefully denied” the espionage charges.
04/02/2023 18:41:05 – Moscow (AFP) – © 2023 AFP