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US reporter Gershkovich: Hearing behind closed doors
Photo: Natalia Kolesnikova / AFP
US journalist Evan Gershkovich, who was imprisoned in Russia on espionage charges, must remain in custody. A court rejected Gershkovich's objection to the extension of his pre-trial detention until the end of March, the press service of the Moscow courts announced on the Telegram online service. The journalist will remain in custody until March 30th.
At the end of January, a court in Moscow extended the Wall Street Journal reporter's detention until the end of March. The hearing was also attended by the Consul General of the United States, Stuart Wilson. It took place behind closed doors as authorities say details of the criminal case against the American journalist are secret.
The 32-year-old was arrested by the FSB secret service at the end of March last year while he was on a reporting trip to the Russian city of Yekaterinburg, about 2,000 kilometers east of Moscow. Gershkovich is accused by the Russian judiciary, among other things, of having collected information about the Russian arms industry. He faces up to 20 years in prison.
The reporter, his family, his employer and the US authorities deny the espionage allegations. So far, the Russian judiciary has not published any evidence to support its allegations.
eru/AFP/Reuters