Russian Court Extends Detention of WSJ Reporter Evan Gershkovich until June 30

A Russian court has decided to prolong the pre-trial detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich until at least June 30, adding to the journalist's prolonged incarceration in Moscow.

Gershkovich was arrested in March 2023 by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) during a reporting assignment in the city of Yekaterinburg. Since then, he has been held in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison, facing accusations of "acting on the instructions of the American side" and gathering state secrets about the military. Despite repeated attempts to appeal for release over the past year, Gershkovich's pleas have been consistently denied, resulting in extensions of his pre-trial detention period.

“Evan will be released,” says Evan's editor-in-chief 

In an interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos, Wall Street Journal Editor-in-Chief Emma Tucker expressed optimism about Gershkovich's eventual release, stating, "Evan will be released, but it's complicated to get there." Tucker highlighted the complexity of the situation, involving various governments and stakeholders.

"There are a lot of different people and governments involved. So I think, you know, we just have to be patient, and optimistic," she said. 

US maintains that Evan was wrongly detained 

The U.S. government has also voiced its disapproval of Gershkovich's detention. In April 2023, Secretary of State Antony Blinken declared that the journalist had been wrongly detained, condemning Russia's suppression of independent voices and its disregard for truth.

Gershkovich, who previously served as a correspondent in the Journal's Moscow bureau, is among several notable U.S. citizens or dual nationals currently held in Russian custody.

As Gershkovich's detention is extended once more, concerns continue to mount over his well-being and the circumstances surrounding his arrest and imprisonment in Russia.