On Tuesday, the Russian judiciary decided to keep American journalist Evan Gershkovich in pre-trial detention until the end of March. Gershkovich, who was arrested nearly a year ago by the Federal Security Service (FSB) on charges of “espionage,” remains in custody.
Earlier on Tuesday, the FSB announced the arrest of a Russian-American woman residing in Los Angeles, in Yekaterinburg, Russia – the same city where Gershkovich was detained. She faces charges of “treason.”
In recent years, several American citizens have been arrested and sentenced to severe penalties in Russia. Washington, which supports Kyiv in its war against Russia that began two years ago, accuses Moscow of holding these individuals as hostages for potential prisoner exchanges.
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently expressed his desire to negotiate a prisoner exchange with Washington, mentioning the case of a man convicted of committing an assassination sponsored by Russia, who is currently imprisoned in Germany.
Gershkovich appealed the decision to extend his pre-trial detention until the end of March on espionage charges, which he denies.
The media office of Moscow’s courts stated on Telegram, “The Moscow City Court upheld the decision of the lower court and rejected the appeal, Gershkovich will remain in detention until March 30, 2024.”
Gershkovich, a correspondent for “The Wall Street Journal” who also worked for “Agence France-Presse” in Moscow, was arrested by the FSB while reporting in Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains.
He faces a prison sentence of up to 20 years. Russia has not provided evidence to support its accusations, and the entire process has been classified as secret.
