Russian court dismisses appeal from Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested on espionage charges

An appeal from an American journalist Evan Gershkovich against his pre-trial detention on charges of espionage in Russia was dismissed by a Moscow court on Tuesday. The US government and Gershkovich’s employer, the Wall Street Journal, firmly reject the allegations against him.

Gershkovich, the first US journalist to be imprisoned in Russia since the Cold War, was arrested March 29 while reporting in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg. If convicted of espionage, he could face up to 20 years in prison.

The US government declared Gershkovich “wrongly detainedabout a week ago, meaning a designated office within the US State Department will be leading efforts to get him released.

“I can only say how disturbing it was to see Evan, an innocent journalist, held under these circumstances,” said US Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy, who was allowed to visit Gershkovich for the first time in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison on Monday , told journalists the Moscow courthouse after Tuesday’s verdict. “We will continue to provide all available support to Evan and his family and we expect the Russian authorities to continue to grant Evan consular access. The charges against Evan are unfounded and we call on the Russian Federation to release him immediately.”

“While we anticipated this development, it is nonetheless disappointing,” said Almar Latour, publisher of The Wall Street Journal, and Emma Tucker, editor-in-chief, in a joint statement. “Evan is being wrongly detained and the espionage charges against him are false. We call for his immediate release and are doing everything we can to secure his release.” They said Gershkovich’s next hearing is scheduled for late May.

Gershkovich’s lawyers told reporters after Tuesday’s verdict that he was “in good spirits” and grateful for the “great support” he was receiving.

President Biden has condemned Gershkovich’s imprisonment and spoke to his parents last week.

“We’re making it really clear that what’s happening is totally illegal and we’ve explained it that way,” Mr. Biden said.