Global Courant 2023-04-18 15:01:37
Jailed American journalist Evan Gershkovich appeared in a Moscow court on Tuesday to appeal his detention on espionage charges, part of a sweeping Kremlin crackdown on dissent during the war in Ukraine. He and the US government strongly deny the allegations.
Dozens of journalists flocked to catch a glimpse of the Wall Street Journal reporter, the first US correspondent since the Cold War to be held in Russia on espionage charges. Gershkovich looked calm as he stood in a glass cage. US Ambassador Lynne Tracy was in the room.
Russia’s Federal Security Service arrested the 31-year-old in March in Yekaterinburg, accusing him of obtaining classified information about a Russian arms factory.
Gershkovich, his employer and the US government all deny that he was involved in espionage and have demanded his release. Last week, the US government declared he had been “unjustly detained” – a designation that means his case is receiving special attention from the State Department.
The Moscow court will consider a defense appeal against his detention on Tuesday.
Gershkovich could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Russian lawyers have said previous espionage investigations have lasted from a year to 18 months, during which time he could have little contact with the outside world.
He is held in Moscow’s Lefortovo Prison, which dates back to the Tsarist era and has been a terrifying symbol of repression since Soviet times.
The arrest comes amid bitter tensions between the West and Moscow over the invasion of Ukraine and as the Kremlin cracks down on opposition activists, independent journalists and civil society groups.
The sweeping campaign of repression is unprecedented since the Soviet era. Activists say it often means criminalizing the profession of a journalist itself, along with the activities of ordinary Russians opposed to the war.
Last month, a Russian court convicted a father of criticizing the war on social media and sentenced him to two years in prison. On Monday, a Russian court convicted Vladimir Kara-Murza Jr., the top opposition figure, of treason for openly denouncing the war and sentenced him to 25 years in prison.
The US has pressured Moscow to grant consular access to Gershkovich. Ambassador Tracy said Monday she visited Gershkovich for the first time since his detention in prison. She said on Twitter that “he is in good health and remains strong”, reiterating a US call for his immediate release.
US President Joe Biden spoke to Greshkovich’s parents last week and again condemned his detention.
“We are making it very clear that what is happening is totally illegal, and we have declared it so,” he said.
A top Russian diplomat said last week that Russia would be willing to discuss a possible prisoner exchange with Gershkovich after his trial with the US. That means it’s unlikely an exchange will happen any time soon.
In December, American basketball star Brittney Griner was traded for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout following her trial and conviction for drug possession. She was sentenced to nine years in prison and eventually ended up behind bars for ten months.
Another US security executive, Paul Whelan, of Michigan, has been imprisoned in Russia since December 2018 on espionage charges, which his family and the US government have called baseless.
