A Moscow court has prolonged the journalist Evan Gershkovich’s detention by three months.
The court ruled that The Wall Street Journal reporter will remain in prison until at least November 30. Gershkovich, who was initially arrested on spurious espionage charges in March, appeared in the court on Thursday morning for the brief hearing.
“By a court decision in relation to Gershkovich, the detention period was extended by three months, and in total up to eight months, that is until November 30, 2023,” stated the court’s press service, cited by Russia’s legal news agency Rapsi.
Gershkovich, a US citizen, was working as an accredited journalist when he was detained in March this year, and has since been held at Lefortovo prison in Moscow. Gershkovich and The Wall Street Journal both deny the allegations of espionage and the US government maintains that he was wrongfully detained.
The White House has called the charges “ridiculous” and President Biden has said Gershkovich’s detention was “totally illegal”.