According to court records made public by a Moscow court, US journalist Evan Gershkovich has challenged a Russian court’s decision to extend his pre-trial incarceration by three months.
In March, while on a reporting trip to the Urals, Gershkovich was imprisoned and charged with espionage, something he, the US government, and his employer The Wall Street Journal strenuously dispute.
His pre-trial detention was scheduled to end on August 30 but a court decided Thursday that it would be prolonged until November 30. The WSJ and US State Department criticized the judge’s decision.
According to the Moscow City Court website, his defense had “appealed” against the extra three-month extension.
Throughout Moscow’s attack in Ukraine, Gershkovich continued to report from Russia, in contrast to many journalists from the West.
His case is the first espionage-related arrest of a foreign journalist in Russia since the end of the Soviet Union.
Russia has made it more difficult for journalists from the West to get credentials and operate in the nation since beginning full-scale hostilities against Ukraine last year.
In recent years, Russia has sentenced many US citizens to lengthy prison terms. Moscow is charged by Washington of using them as a negotiating chip to secure the release of Russians detained in the US.