A Moscow court on Friday extended the pretrial detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested on spying charges, until the end of March, meaning he will spend at least a year in prison in Russia. .
U.S. Consul General Stuart Wilson attended the hearing in Lefortovo District Court, which was held behind closed doors because authorities said details of the criminal case against the American journalist were confidential.
A video shared by state news agency Ria Novosti showed Gershković, wearing a hooded jacket and light blue jeans, listening to the verdict in a cage in the courtroom.
Moments later, he was photographed walking to a prison van to leave the courtroom.
Gershkovych, 32, was detained in March during a reporting trip to Yekaterinburg, a Russian city about 1,200 miles east of Moscow.
Russia's Federal Security Service claimed that the reporter had “collected state secret information regarding the activities of one of the companies of the Russian military-industrial complex, following instructions from the American side.”
Mr. Gershkovic and the Journal have denied the allegations, and the U.S. government has declared that Mr. Gershkovic is being unlawfully detained. Russian authorities have not released details of the evidence supporting the spying charges.
At a year-end press conference in December, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the Russian government was in talks with the United States to prepare for the return of Mr. Gershkovych and imprisoned American Paul Whelan, and that the Kremlin ” “We hope to find a solution,” he said. “It is not easy.”
President Putin responded to a question about the proposal made by the Biden administration to secure their release.
The U.S. State Department presented the report in December, without providing details, and said Russia rejected it.
“We are in touch with our American partners on this issue and we are having a dialogue on this issue. It is not easy. I will not go into detail right now. But in general, we each understand It seems to me that we are speaking a language that is possible,” Putin said.
“I hope a solution can be found,” he continued. “But again, the American side has to listen to us and make a decision that satisfies the Russian side.”
Russia's Foreign Ministry said it would consider exchanging Gershkovych only after the verdict in his trial. Espionage trials in Russia can last more than a year.
Mr. Gershkovitch is the first American reporter to be charged with espionage in Russia since 1986, when US News & World Report's Moscow correspondent Nicholas Danilov was arrested by the KGB. Gershkovych is being held in Moscow's Lefortovo prison, known for its harsh conditions.
Analysts say the Russian government may be using the imprisoned American as a bargaining chip after Russia sent troops to Ukraine, raising tensions between the United States and Russia. There is.
At least two Americans arrested in Russia in recent years, including WNBA star Brittney Greiner, have been exchanged with Russians imprisoned in the United States.
