Voice of America
19 Sep 2023, 23:35 GMT+10
A Moscow court on Tuesday declined to hear an appeal by The Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich against a ruling that extended his pretrial detention by three months, according to Russian state media.
Gershkovich has been in detention since his arrest in March on espionage charges that he, his employer and the U.S. government vehemently deny. The U.S. government has said the journalist is wrongfully detained.
The court decision marks the latest setback in the legal fight for the reporter, whose pretrial detention has been extended twice - the first being in May.
Russia's Jailing of American Reporter 'Beyond Cruel,' US Says
That pre-trial detention was supposed to expire May 29 but it was extended to August and then again to November.
With his appeal rejected, his pretrial detention will now last until at least November 30.
No date has been set for his trial.
Gershkovich failed in two previous appeals against his pretrial detention.
Press freedom groups have condemned the court's latest decision.
"The latest denial of Evan Gershkovich's appeal is disappointing but unsurprising. Gershkovich is a Kremlin hostage, so we can't expect any remedy to come from the Russian legal system,' Clayton Weimers, the head of Reporters Without Borders' U.S. bureau, said in a statement.
Gershkovich appeared in public Tuesday for the first time in months at the court hearing. In photos from the courtroom, he appeared in a glass box surrounded by Russian security officials with covered faces.
Gershkovich's lawyers tried to challenge the extension of his pretrial detention, but the judge declined to consider their appeal, citing unspecified procedural violations.
Wearing a yellow sweatshirt and jeans, he smiled occasionally to members of the media who were briefly allowed inside the courtroom.
Russia's embassy in Washington did not immediately reply to a VOA email requesting comment.
The U.S. ambassador to Russia, Lynne Tracy, was present at the hearing on Tuesday.
Targeting of Journalists Covering Russia Raises Alarms
"The U.S. position remains unwavering. The charges against Evan are baseless. The Russian government locked Evan up for simply doing his job. Journalism is not a crime," Tracy told reporters outside the courthouse.
"Evan is fully aware of the gravity of his situation, yet he remains remarkably strong," Tracy added.
The ambassador last visited Gershkovich in jail on Friday. After her visit, the U.S. Embassy in Russia said, "He remains strong and is keeping up with the news."
Media Lawyers Call on UN to Help Secure Gershkovich's Release
Get a daily dose of Zimbabwe Star news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Zimbabwe Star.
More InformationIn the past month alone, 23 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza—three more than the number of remaining living hostages held...
LONDON, U.K.: At least 13 people are believed to have taken their own lives as a result of the U.K.'s Post Office scandal, in which...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Travelers at U.S. airports will no longer need to remove their shoes during security screenings, Department of Homeland...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: An elaborate impersonation scheme involving artificial intelligence targeted senior U.S. and foreign officials in...
SLUBICE, Poland: Poland reinstated border controls with Germany and Lithuania on July 7, following Germany's earlier reintroduction...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: After months of warnings from former federal officials and weather experts, the deadly flash floods that struck the...
The president claimed recent strikes in Iran were evidence of the reliability of American-made weapons US President Donald Trump...
New Delhi [India], July 11 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Praveen Khandelwal criticised the comments made Punjab Chief Minister...
New Delhi [India], July 11 (ANI): Ireland batter Peter Moor has announced his retirement from international cricket at the age of 35...
By Reena Bhardwaj Washington, DC [[US], July 11 (ANI): US President Donald Trump on Thursday (local time) announced that the US will...
Vancouver [Canada], July 11 (ANI): Canadian journalist Daniel Bordman called the attack on a cafe owned by comedian Kapil Sharma a...
KHARTOUM, July 10 (Xinhua) -- It was 2 p.m. in a displacement camp on the outskirts of Port Sudan, where the relentless sun had already...