A Russian court on Tuesday has extended the detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich for a third time since he was taken into custody in March on an allegation of espionage. However, Gershkovich, who is being held at Moscow’s Lefortovo prison, has denied the allegation.
The court has extended his detention through at least January 30 of next year.
On March 29, FSB agents detained Gershkovich, a 32-year-old US citizen who was accredited by Russia’s Foreign Ministry to work as a journalist. Russian investigators have not publicly released evidence regarding the allegation that they have made against Gershkovich. The US government has stressed that Gershkovich has been wrongfully detained.
The decision of Lefortovo District Court to extend the detention of Gershkovich follows the jailing of another American journalist, Alsu Kurmasheva, an editor for Prague-based Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in October.
Supporters of Kurmasheva have said that they believe she has been targeted due to her US citizenship and her profession. However, the Kremlin has denied the allegation. Her employer and family have urged the US State Department to determine that she has been wrongfully detained.
Earlier on September 19, Lynne Tracy, the US Ambassador to Russia, said that Evan Gershkovich has been “wrongfully detained” in Russia, according to the statement released by the US Embassy in Russia.
