Justice: US journalist Gershkovich remains in custody in Moscow

A Moscow court has extended the pre-trial detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich for another three months. This means that the American, who was being prosecuted by the Russian power apparatus for alleged espionage, will remain behind bars until June 30, the Moscow City Court announced on Telegram.

The correspondent, who was arrested a year ago, was seen in photos and a video. Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin recently spoke publicly about his willingness to exchange Gershkovich for Russians imprisoned in the West.

The negotiations against the journalist in Moscow are being held behind closed doors because the contents of the criminal proceedings are classified as secret. The Russia correspondent for the “Wall Street Journal” was arrested on a reporting trip in Yekaterinburg at the end of March 2023. The public prosecutor’s office accuses him of having collected state secrets about the activities of a Russian defense company “at the direction of the American side.” Gershkovich and his employer deny the espionage allegations. The U.S. government said Gershkovich was being held unjustly.

Offer rejected

In December, the White House announced that Moscow had rejected an offer from Washington to release the journalist and another imprisoned American, Paul Whelan. Details of the offer were not disclosed.

Putin raised the possibility of an exchange in an interview in early February. “It makes no sense to keep him in prison in Russia,” said the Kremlin chief. The US should think about how it could contribute to a solution.

Putin’s statements afterwards could be interpreted as meaning a release of the zoo murderer Wadim K., who was convicted in December 2021. He murdered a Chechen exile in Berlin in 2019. K. is said to have committed the murder on behalf of Russian state authorities. However, both cases have nothing to do with each other and affect different countries.