A Russian court rejected an appeal from Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich to his extended detention while he awaits trial on espionage charges.
The court ruled that Gershkovich, who was arrested in March on allegations that he was trying to gain access to classified information, must remain in jail at least until late August, upholding a previous Moscow court’s ruling.
The proceedings happened behind closed doors, but before they began, Gershkovich appeared tense and paced inside the glass cage where he was being held during the hearing. He also briefly smiled.
His parents and U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy were present.
Tracy told reporters that she was “extremely disappointed” by the ruling and reiterated calls for Russia to release him, slamming the allegations as baseless.
“Evan continued to show remarkable strength and resiliency in these very difficult circumstances,” she said.
The State Department has declared Gershkovich to be wrongfully detained and argued that Gershkovich was only conducting his job as a journalist. The Journal has also denied that Gershkovich was engaging in espionage, most recently denouncing the decision to keep him detained.
“Although the outcome was expected, it is no less an outrage that his detention continues to be upheld. Evan has been wrongfully detained for more than 12 weeks for nothing more than doing his job as a journalist. We continue to demand his immediate release,” the Journal said.
Russian officials have not laid out any evidence of the charges Gershkovich is facing.
Gershkovich could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of espionage, and Russia’s criminal justice system has been internationally criticized for having a more than 99 percent conviction rate.
Gershkovich is the first U.S. journalist to be arrested on espionage charges in Russia since the Cold War. He is being held in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison, known for having harsh conditions.
U.S. officials have on multiple occasions been denied access to consular visits with Gershkovich. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters the ministry is considering a request from the U.S. embassy for a visit.
The Associated Press contributed.