Current:Home > FinanceRussia extends arrest of US reporter Evan Gershkovich. He has already spent nearly a year in jail -TradeCircle
Russia extends arrest of US reporter Evan Gershkovich. He has already spent nearly a year in jail
View
Date:2025-04-17 20:54:49
MOSCOW (AP) — A Moscow court on Tuesday ordered Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich to remain in jail on espionage charges until at least late June, court officials said.
The 32-year-old U.S. citizen was arrested in late March 2023 while on a reporting trip and has spent nearly a year behind bars. His arrest was extended until June 30.
Gershkovich and his employer have denied the allegations, and the U.S. government has declared him to be wrongfully detained.
His arrest in the city of Yekaterinburg rattled journalists in Russia, where authorities have not detailed what, if any, evidence they have to support the espionage charges.
Gershkovich is being held at Moscow’s Lefortovo prison, which is notorious for its harsh conditions.
U.S. ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy attended the court hearing on Tuesday and reiterated that “the accusations against Evan are categorically untrue.”
“They are not a different interpretation of circumstances. They are fiction,” Tracy told reporters outside of the courthouse. “No justification for Evan’s continued detention, and no explanation as to why Evan doing his job as a journalist constituted a crime. Evan’s case is not about evidence, due process or rule of law. It is about using American citizens as pawns to achieve political ends.”
Analysts have pointed out that Moscow may be using jailed Americans as bargaining chips in soaring U.S.-Russian tensions over the Kremlin’s military operation in Ukraine. At least two U.S. citizens arrested in Russia in recent years — including WNBA star Brittney Griner — have been exchanged for Russians jailed in the U.S.
Gershkovich is the first American reporter to be arrested on espionage charges in Russia since September 1986, when Nicholas Daniloff, a Moscow correspondent for U.S. News and World Report, was arrested by the KGB. Daniloff was released without charge 20 days later in a swap for an employee of the Soviet Union’s U.N. mission who was arrested by the FBI, also on spying charges.
veryGood! (2)
Related
- In ‘Nickel Boys,’ striving for a new way to see
- How long are cats pregnant? Expert tips for owners before the kittens arrive.
- Olympics commentator Bob Ballard dumped after sexist remark during swimming competition
- US regulators OK North Carolina Medicaid carrot to hospitals to eliminate patient debt
- The 401(k) millionaires club keeps growing. We'll tell you how to join.
- USA skateboarders Nyjah Huston, Jagger Eaton medal at Paris Olympics
- The latest stop in Jimmer Fredette's crazy global hoops journey? Paris Olympics.
- Liberty University, Jerry Falwell Jr. settle legal and personal disputes
- Meet the volunteers risking their lives to deliver Christmas gifts to children in Haiti
- Noah Lyles says his popularity has made it hard to stay in Olympic Village
Ranking
- Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
- Josh Hartnett Shares Stalking Incidents Drove Him to Leave Hollywood
- New England Patriots DT Christian Barmore diagnosed with blood clots
- Harvey Weinstein contracts COVID-19, double pneumonia following hospitalization
- The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $25
- Iowa now bans most abortions after about 6 weeks, before many women know they’re pregnant
- Lady Gaga Confirms Engagement to Michael Polansky at 2024 Olympics
- Quake rattles Southern California desert communities, no immediate reports of damage
Recommendation
Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
Olympian Nikki Hiltz is model for transgender, nonbinary youth when they need it most
Powerball winning numbers for July 27 drawing: Jackpot now worth $144 million
A move to limit fowl in Iowa’s capital eggs residents on to protest with a chicken parade
What to watch: O Jolie night
American swimmer Nic Fink wins silver in men's 100 breaststroke at Paris Olympics
Florida police union leader blasts prosecutors over charges against officers in deadly 2019 shootout
Paris Olympic organizers cancel triathlon swim training for second day over dirty Seine