Russian court extends detention of WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich
Al JazeeraThe Wall Street Journal has denounced the continued detention of its reporter as a ‘brazen and outrageous attack’ on free press. Russia will keep American reporter Evan Gershkovich in custody for another two months as he awaits trial for espionage, a Moscow court has ruled, heightening concerns about the fate of the jailed journalist. In a closed-door hearing on Tuesday, the Moscow court extended Gershkovich’s detention until January 30, an expected outcome in a country that rarely releases prisoners with serious charges ahead of trial. The Wall Street Journal, Gershkovich’s employer, slammed his continued detention as a “brazen and outrageous attack” on the free press, calling for his immediate release. Russia’s Federal Security Service claims the reporter was trying to obtain secret information about a Russian arms factory, saying he was “caught red-handed”.