Evan Gershkovich staying strong as friends, family remain frustrated over indefinite Russian detainment

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich received an unsurprising but still disappointing setback Tuesday, as his pre-trial detention in Russia was extended into 2024. But his friends say he's staying strong and keeping his sense of humor, even as he languishes indefinitely in a Moscow prison.

Arrested in Yekaterinburg and detained since March 29 on spying charges, Gershovich will remain imprisoned until at least January 30, 2024. Russian authorities claim Gershkovich "acting on the instructions of the American side, collected information constituting a state secret about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex."

The Biden administration has designated Gershkovich "wrongfully detained" and repeatedly called for his release, and both the U.S. government and the Wall Street Journal have called the spying charges ludicrous. It is widely believed the Russians detained the reporter to both chill journalism in the country and also pick up a useful bargaining chip in a future prisoner exchange.

Meanwhile, Gershkovich has marked his 32nd birthday and Thanksgiving inside the notorious Lefortovo prison in Moscow, and will now spend Christmas and New Year's there as well. 

RUSSIAN COURT EXTENDS DETENTION OF WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORTER EVAN GERSHKOVICH

"Obviously it's a particularly hard thing considering the holidays are coming up," said his friend Polina Ivanova, a Financial Times reporter. "We already celebrated Evan's birthday in October with him incarcerated, and just now traveled to Philadelphia for Thanksgiving with his parents. It's a huge shame, and it's very sad, but he's holding up strong, considering the challenge he's facing. It's getting into a cold and dark winter in Moscow, so that's also something that affects conditions, but he's keeping well. He's still reading a lot, and as usual staying funny and witty in his letters."

Ivanova, along with The Guardian's Pjotr Sauer and journalist Maria Borzunova, traveled to spend Thanksgiving with Gershkovich's parents and sister. Sauer said it was another way to show their support for their friend.

"We decided Thanksgiving would be a great time to show our support and meet the parents because we haven't met them before," he told Fox News Digital. "They're extremely strong, impressive people, and we spent the dinner talking about Evan of course, remembering fun stories and also things we will do when he's out with us again."

When that will be is anyone's guess.

WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORTER EVAN GERSHKOVICH TURNS 32 WHILE WRONGFULLY DETAINED BY RUSSIA

Gershkovich has become a symbol of the importance of a free press and the harsh subjugation of the Russian government. He faces decades in prison if convicted of spying, which is a near certainty in Russia's closed and notoriously corrupt court system.

Gershkovich worked at several outlets, including the New York Times, before landing at the Wall Street Journal and covering Russia for the newspaper. His parents were born in the Soviet Union and separately traveled to the United States, where they married and started a family in New Jersey. Gershkovich grew up like a typical American boy, but he always harbored a fascination for his parents' home country.

"Our colleague Evan Gershkovich appeared in a Russian court today, where his wrongful pre-trial detention was again extended, this time until at least January 30," the Wall Street Journal said in a statement. "Evan has now been unjustly imprisoned for nearly 250 days, and every day is a day too long. The accusations against him are categorically false and his continued imprisonment is a brazen and outrageous attack on a free press, which is critical for a free society. We continue to stand with Evan and call for his immediate release."

DOW Jones CEO Almar Latour and Wall Street Journal editor-in-chief Emma Tucker sent a note to employees upon the news of Gershkovich's extended imprisonment, calling the situation "reprehensible" and urging staffers to continue keeping their colleague's face in the public eye.

WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORTER IMPRISONED IN RUSSIA HAILED BY COLLEAGUES FOR CHARISMA, COURAGE

Meanwhile, his family and friends struggle to make sense of his grueling ordeal.

"It's frustrating," Sauer said. "Russian trials take a long time… It's important to stress that Evan is not a spy, and yeah, it's of course disappointing, but Evan understands that this is a marathon, and it may take a while. It's eight months now he's been in jail, coming up on 250 days, and those are just very long, big figures, and no one is prepared to spend that long a time in a cramped cell in Moscow."

Gershkovich continues to field thousands of letters, many of them from strangers, which have to be translated into Russian and reviewed by Kremlin authorities before he can read them. 

"I think he's strong, he remains strong," Sauer said. "He's still determined to prove his innocence. Eight months is hard for anyone, but Evan is staying remarkably healthy mentally and physically. He exercises, he reads a lot, his spirits are still high."

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Fox News' Chris Pandolfo and Brian Flood contributed to this report.