Russia: "Wall Street Journal" correspondent in Moscow indicted for espionage

Wall Street Journal correspondent Evan Gershkovich, escorted by court officers in Moscow, March 30, 2023. AP - Alexander Zemlianichenko

Text by: Anissa El Jabri Follow

1 min

It is now eight days since the arrest of The Wall Street Journal's correspondent in Russia was made public. This Friday, April 7, Russian agencies announced that American journalist Evan Gershkovich had been formally accused of espionage.

Advertising

Read more

From our correspondent in Moscow,

Russian diplomacy had warned on Thursday, via a statement made public after the meeting between the new ambassador of the United States and the deputy foreign minister: "The hype around this case, in order to put pressure on the Russian authorities and on the court that will have to decide the fate of Evan Gershkovich, is unnecessary and senseless."

Confirmation, therefore, with this indictment under Article 276 of the Russian Criminal Code. According to the investigation, the journalist, "acting on the instructions of the US side, collected information constituting a state secret about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex."

So far, Russia has never begun discussions on the fate of a foreign prisoner before his trial. Gershkovich's arrest is the first by a foreign journalist on such serious charges since 1986 and the Soviet Union. The Wall Street Journal and its reporter deny the accusations. US President Joe Biden has called for his release.

► READ ALSO: After the arrest of its journalist in Russia, the Wall Street Journal raises the tone

Newsletter Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

Read on on the same topics:

• Russia
• Media
• Justice
• United States