Moscow court extends WSJ reporter’s house arrest: state news agency

The arrest of ‘Wall Street Journal’ reporter Ivan Gershkovich, arrested on charges of espionage in Russia, has been extended till 30 November. Russia’s official news agency ‘Tass’ gave this information. Gershkovich arrived at a Moscow court on Thursday in a white prison van, handcuffed. Journalists standing outside the court were not allowed to watch the court proceedings. ‘Taas’ said that the hearing of criminal cases is confidential, so he was not included in the proceedings. Prosecutors requested the court to extend Gershkovich’s arrest until 30 August. Gershkovich, however, appealed against the extension of his detention.

Gershkovich, 31, a US citizen, was arrested in Yekaterinburg in late March this year while reporting. Russia’s Federal Security Service said Gershkovich was “acting on instructions from the US”. He was collecting government classified information about the activities of one of the companies that worked for the Russian military industrial complex.” Gershkovich and his employer have denied the allegations and the US government has said they were misrepresented. Detained. Gershkovich’s case is shrouded in secrecy.

Russian officials, however, have not given any detailed information about what evidence they have gathered to support the espionage allegations. In early August, US ambassador to Russia Lynn Tracy visited Gershkovich for a third time and reported that he seemed to be in good health despite the challenging circumstances. Gershkovich is held at Lefortovo prison in Moscow, which is notorious for its harsh environment. Gershkovich is the first American reporter to face espionage charges since September 1986, when Nicholas Danilov, Moscow correspondent for US News and World Report, was arrested by Russia’s KGB.

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