The Russian judiciary is holding a Wall Street Journal journalist accused of espionage in preventive custody

On Tuesday, the Moscow City Court rejected the appeal of the defense against the arrest of the correspondent for The Wall Street Journal Evan Gershkovich, accused in Russia of espionage, and kept him in pretrial detention. The ruling includes “upholding the trial court’s decision on injunctive relief against Gershkovich”the court points out in a document collected by Efe.

The American’s defense appealed against the two-month preventive detention imposed on the journalist on March 30 during his first appearance before the judge. Gershkovich’s lawyers, who asked to change the precautionary measure from preventive detention to house arrest, disclosed the disposition of Dow Jones, the owner wsjpay bail of 50 million rubles (about $612,000). Gershkovich, who is serving a precautionary measure in Lefortovo prison, appeared today with a smile on his face in a glass chamber in the presence of numerous journalists.

When asked by the court if he needed a translation of the court decision, Gershkovich replied that “there is no need”, because it is clear. The journalist’s lawyers reiterated that their client continues to reject the charges against him. “The brother will claim the right to engage in journalism, that’s fine, and he thanks everyone for their support”, lawyer Tatiana Nozhkina pointed out. He added that the journalist was reading War and peace, Leo Tolstoy, in prison he plays sports and watches television.

The court was also attended by the ambassador of the United States of America to Russia, Lynne Tracy, who was able to visit her compatriot a day earlier after approval from Moscow. “The accusation is not based on anything and we will continue to demand that Russia release him”, assured the ambassador. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zajárova warned Monday that those diplomats who create divisions in Russian society will be expelled after dozens of Western diplomats appeared at the trial of rival Vladimir Kara-Murz, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

This Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry invited Tracy along with the ambassadors of Canada and the United Kingdom for “interfering” in Russia’s internal affairs. The Federal Security Service (FSB, formerly KGB) officially charged an American journalist with espionage on the 7th.

Dozens of independent Russian journalists wrote a letter demanding their release and calling the espionage charge unjustified under Article 276 of the Criminal Code, a charge that carries up to 20 years in prison. And the White House and The Wall Street Journal They rejected the accusations of the Russian security forces against their correspondent and demanded his immediate release.