Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich, who has been imprisoned in Russia on charges of espionage since March, has officially filed an appeal against the extension of his pretrial detention, according to court documents released on Saturday.
Gershkovich’s detention, originally set to end on August 30th, has now been extended until November, marking a total of eight months since his detainment during a work trip to Yekaterinburg, central Russia.
An earlier attempt to appeal his detention was unsuccessful earlier this summer. Remarkably, Gershkovich’s case is the first instance of an American journalist being jailed on espionage charges in Russia since the Soviet Union era.
The decision to extend Gershkovich’s detention, made by the Moscow court, has sparked outrage from U.S. diplomats and the Journal. American officials vehemently assert that his detention is unjust.
In a statement, the Journal declared that Gershkovich’s continued detainment is “unjustifiable” and a consequence of him “carrying out his duties as a journalist.”
“The allegations against him are completely groundless, and we are tirelessly advocating for his immediate release,” the statement reads. “Journalism should never be deemed a criminal act.”
President Biden has expressed his determination to secure Gershkovich’s release through a prisoner swap.
“I am committed to pursuing a prisoner exchange,” Biden announced during a press conference in Helsinki alongside the Finnish president in July.
“I am fully committed to all efforts aimed at freeing Americans who have been unlawfully detained in Russia or anywhere else, and we are actively working towards that goal,” he added.
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