According to a report by the Russian International News Agency on the 23rd, a Moscow court confirmed on the same day that the pre-trial trial of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich (Evan Gershkovich) who was arrested in Russia in late March The detention period was extended until August 30.
The reporter was being detained near a military facility in Yekaterinburg, the report said. The Federal Security Service (FSB) said Gershkovich was seeking “information on the activities of a Russian military-industrial complex company that amounted to state secrets” at the time of his arrest. Gershkovic faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
Gershkovic’s lawyers tried to release him on $622,500 bail, but the court rejected the lawyer’s application last month. At the same time, the Russian side refused the US embassy’s consular visit to Gershkovich. The Russian Foreign Ministry said it was retaliation for the US embassy’s refusal of visas for Russian journalists to the US.
In March this year, Evan Gershkovich, a reporter from the American media “Wall Street Journal”, was arrested by a Russian court. The FSB announced that it accused the journalist of espionage in Yekaterinburg.