Russia extends Wall Street Journal journalist’s detention for three months Buzz News

Moscow – a court Russian Wall Street Journal journalist’s detention extended for three months evan gershkovicRussian news agencies reported on Tuesday.

According to the order, Gershkovich, a US citizen, should be kept in custody till August 30. He was arrested in March on charges of espionage after a reporting trip to Russia. He and both the US government and the Wall Street Journal deny the allegations.

Tuesday’s hearing was not announced in advance. Similarly, the whole matter has been done secretly.

Russian officials have not detailed what evidence they have collected to support the espionage allegations. Media did not have access to various court proceedings, and it was not immediately known whether Gershkovitch or representatives of the US Embassy attended Tuesday’s hearing. It is not even known what was said.

However, Tass – the Russian state news agency – said the session was closed because the reporter was accused of possessing “secret material”.

Gershkovich is the first American correspondent to be detained in Russia on espionage charges since the Cold War, and his arrest shocked the country’s journalists and sparked outrage in the West.

The US government has declared that Gershkovich has been “wrongfully detained” and demanded his immediate release.

The communicator is being held in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison. US embassy officials have been allowed at least one visit to Gershkovich’s prison since he was detained in Yekaterinburg on March 29, but Russian officials have refused to allow other visits.