A Russian judge upheld the detention of American journalist Evan Gershkovich Tuesday following his arrest on spying charges amid the Kremlin’s sweeping crackdown on press freedom during the war in Ukraine.
After appearing in court, a Moscow City Court judge denied the reporter’s appeal of his detention, ruling that Gershkovich — the Russia correspondent for the Wall Street Journal — is to stay in jail awaiting an investigation and trial. If convicted, Gershkovich could face up to 20 years.
Gershkovich, a U.S. citizen, was detained after Russia’s Federal Security Service accused Gershkovich of spying on behalf of the U.S. government, marking the first time an American journalist has been arrested on espionage charges since the Cold War.
The U.S. government, Gershkovich and the Journal have all vehemently deny the allegations.
“Evan is a member of the free press who right up until he was arrested was engaged in newsgathering. Any suggestions otherwise are false,” the Journal said in a statement.
The detention of Gershkovich comes amid bitter tensions between the West and the Kremlin over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its growing crackdown of activists, journalists and civil society groups.
