(Reuters) – According to Russian state media, U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich has appealed against the latest extension of his pre-trial detention in Moscow on spying charges that he denies. TASS news agency quoted a Moscow court as saying it had received the appeal from the defence team of the Wall Street Journal reporter.
Gershkovich, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, was arrested on spying charges in Yekaterinburg on March 29. These charges carry a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison. The trial date has yet to be set, and on Thursday, his detention in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison was extended by three months until November 30.
He previously had two unsuccessful appeals in April and June.
The United States government alleges that Russia is engaging in “hostage diplomacy” by using Gershkovich. This occurs at a time when relations between Moscow and Washington are at their lowest point in more than six decades due to Russia’s involvement in the war in Ukraine.
Washington asserts that the case against Gershkovich is baseless and has called for the release of both him and Paul Whelan. Whelan is a U.S. citizen convicted of espionage in 2020 and is currently serving a 16-year sentence in a Russian penal colony on charges that he denies as well.
Reporting by Mark Trevelyan; Editing by David Holmes
Credit: The Star : News Feed
