Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was denied an appeal on Tuesday as he continues to be detained by Russia on espionage charges the U.S. and his employer have called blatantly false.
Gershkovich appeared in the Moscow City Court after his Sept. 19 appeal was returned to the lower court, but as expected, his appeal was denied again. The widely respected reporter will now be detained until at least Nov. 30.
"It has now been more than six months since Evan’s unjust arrest, and we are outraged that he continues to be wrongfully detained. The accusation against him is categorically false, and we call for his immediate release," the Wall Street Journal said in a statement.
WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORTER EVAN GERSHKOVICH HITS SIX MONTHS OF WRONGFUL DETAINMENT IN RUSSIA
Gershkovich had a mostly blank expression during the court appearance, as he was seen in the defendant’s glass cage wearing a blue shirt and jeans.
Wall Street Journal editor-in-chief Emma Tucker and Dow Jones CEO Almar Latour also issued a joint statement.
"As you may have seen, Evan Gershkovich appeared today in the Moscow City Court where an appeal against his ongoing pretrial detention was denied yet again. Despite some news reports last month, the initial appeal hearing on September 19 was ultimately not heard due to a procedural error, which had no bearing on today’s outcome," Tucker and Latour said.
"It’s outrageous that Evan continues to be wrongfully detained. The accusation leveled against him is categorically false, and we continue to demand his immediate release," they continued. "We will not rest until he is home."
DETAINED WSJ REPORTER EVAN GERSHKOVICH'S COLLEAGUES SPEAK OUT ON HIS PASSION FOR JOURNALISM, RUSSIA
The U.S. Embassy in Moscow said in a statement that it was "deeply disappointed" that Gershkovich’s appeal was rejected.
Gershkovich has languished in Russian custody since late March. The WSJ launched a social media campaign to raise awareness of what the U.S. government has officially designated a wrongful detainment. Journalists and supporters are encouraged to post images with the #IStandWithEvan hashtag across social media.
Gershkovich was detained March 29 during a reporting trip in Yekaterinburg, the fourth-largest city in Russia, and accused of being a spy. The U.S. has all along asserted that Russia's allegation is ridiculous on its face, as have his colleagues, who describe the American-born son of Soviet immigrants as a diligent reporter who is being used as a political pawn due to his high profile. He will turn 32 this month.
His arrest is seen as a brazen violation of press freedom that not only poses widespread consequences for journalism and the media, but to governments and democracies everywhere, and part of a wider journalism crackdown by the autocratic Russian Federation. Gershkovich has been held in Moscow's notorious Lefortovo pre-trial detention center.
The paper has encouraged supporters to share Gershkovich’s journalism and latest updates on his situation by visiting WSJ.com/Evan. Readers can access media assets and images such as #IStandWithEvan profile photos, banners and cover images to be used across social media. The WSJ also allows readers to write a message to Evan and his family.
Gershkovich is the first American reporter to face espionage charges in Russia since September 1986, when Nicholas Daniloff, a Moscow correspondent for U.S. News and World Report, was arrested by the KGB.
Fox News’ David Rutz and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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