Three days after the detention of Evan Gershkovich, a journalist for the Wall Street Journal, the heads of Russian and American diplomacy, Sergei Lavrov and Antony Blinken, exchanged about him "at the initiative" of Washington, according to Moscow.

"It is unacceptable for Washington officials and Western media to create a fuss with the clear intention of giving this case a political dimension," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Gershkovich's arrest comes amid an increased crackdown in Russia on the press since the offensive against Ukraine, which has strained relations between Moscow and Washington.

His case is unprecedented in the country's recent history and has caused a stir in the West.

In a rare call on Sunday, Lavrov repeated to his US counterpart, Antony Blinken, the accusations of espionage made since Thursday by Russian authorities.

"Mr. Gershkovich was caught red-handed while trying to obtain secret information," the Russian minister told Blinken, calling for "respect for the decisions of the Russian authorities."

Ignoring the criticism, he recalled the procedure: "In the light of the established facts (...), his subsequent fate will be determined by a court", without giving further details.

Blinken, for his part, called for the "immediate" release of the American journalist, denouncing an "unacceptable detention", according to a spokesman.

On Friday, US President Joe Biden asked Moscow to "let go" Gershkovich.

"Purge"

Evan Gershkovich, a 31-year-old Russian-speaking reporter known for his thoroughness, denied the charges against him Thursday during a hearing in a Moscow court, according to Russia's Tass news agency.

The American journalist was nevertheless placed in pre-trial detention in a Moscow prison until 29 May, a measure that can be extended pending a possible trial.

According to Tass, the case has been classified as "secret", which restricts the publication of information about him.

The only detail available at this stage: the Russian security services of the FSB announced that they had "foiled illegal activity" by arresting Evan Gershkovich in Yekaterinburg (Urals), on an unspecified date.

The Russian security services say they suspect him of "spying for the United States", accusing him of having collected information "on a company of the Russian military-industrial complex".

According to Article 276 of the Russian Criminal Code, journalists face up to 20 years in prison in theory.

Since Thursday, Western politicians and human rights and press NGOs have strongly denounced the arrest of the American journalist by the Russian authorities, "a purge" symbol of "systematic contempt" of the Kremlin "for media freedom" in their eyes.

On its website, the Wall Street Journal called for the release of its journalist and "strongly denied" the accusations of espionage.

© 2023 AFP