After allegations of espionage: American journalist fails with complaint

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The court in Moscow on Tuesday rejected the defense’s request to release the correspondent of the renowned American newspaper “Wall Street Journal”. It thus confirmed the detention originally scheduled until May 29, as reported by the Interfax news agency. Gershkovich’s lawyer, Tatyana Noschkina, said the 32-year-old denied the allegations.

On Monday, US Ambassador Lynne Tracy visited the reporter for the first time since his arrest at Moscow’s notorious Lefortovo Prison in late March. “He feels good and remains strong,” said the diplomat on the embassy’s Twitter channel. At the same time, she repeated the call for the journalist’s “immediate release”.

The correspondent was arrested by the Russian secret service FSB at the end of March in the city of Yekaterinburg in the Urals. According to the FSB, he would have collected classified information for US agencies. The American newspaper had rejected this, emphasizing that Gershkovich had continued his journalistic work with his accreditation from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

If convicted, the man with Russian roots risks up to 20 years in prison. The case further strained already tense relations between Washington and Moscow. However, Moscow insists on Gershkovich’s guilt. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed he was “caught red-handed” spying on behalf of the US government. The White House rejects these unproven allegations.

(SDA)

Source: Blick