Judge upholds Evan Gershkovich detention as WSJ reporter seen for first time since arrest on espionage charges

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WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich seen for first time since arrest on espionage charges

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich appeared in Moscow court for an appeal hearing Tuesday. (Reuters)

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich made his first public appearance in Russia after being arrested nearly three weeks ago on espionage charges as a judge upheld his pretrial detention at a Tuesday hearing, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Gershkovich, who has denied the charges against him, was in Moscow City Court for the hearing. The judge could have moved Gershkovich to another jail, permitted house arrest, or granted him bail, but ultimately decided on keeping him in custody until May 29.

U.S. Ambassador to Moscow Lynne Tracy and Gershkovich’s lawyers, Tatyana Nozhkina and Maria Korchagina, were in the courtroom during the hearing, the newspaper says. 

Gershkovich, who has been in custody since March 29, appeared at the hearing Tuesday in a see-through detention box, wearing jeans and a blue-checkered shirt.

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Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, is seen in Moscow during appeal hearing. (REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina)

Russia's Federal Security Service has charged Gershkovich with espionage, accusing him of collecting "information constituting a state secret about the activities of an enterprise within Russia’s military-industrial complex," according to state media outlet Tass. 

The Wall Street Journal and the U.S. government have denied the charges against Gershkovich as well. The U.S. State Department last week designated Gershkovich as being "wrongfully detained" by Russian authorities. President Biden also has called the arrest "totally illegal."

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Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich is being held in Moscow's infamous Lefortovo prison. (Fox News)

"Journalism is not a crime. We condemn the Kremlin’s continued repression of independent voices in Russia, and its ongoing war against the truth," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. "The U.S. government will provide all appropriate support to Mr. Gershkovich and his family. We call for the Russian Federation to immediately release Mr. Gershkovich."

Yesterday, Tracy visited Gershkovich at the Lefortovo prison where he was being held in what was the first time Russian authorities provided U.S. officials access to him since his arrest, according to The Wall Street Journal.

American reporter Evan Gershkovich's parents speak to the Wall Street Journal about their son's arrest in Russia. (Screenshot from Wall Street Journal interview)

"He is in good health and remains strong," the newspaper quoted Tracy as saying. "We reiterate our call for his immediate release."

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If convicted, Gershkovich reportedly would face a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

Fox News' Paul Best contributed to this report.