Evan Gershkovich, a journalist for The Wall Street Journal, has been arrested in Russia on suspicion of espionage, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said in a statement Thursday.
Russian state news agency TASS reported that the Lefortovo court in Moscow formally detained journalist Evan Gershkovich in connection with espionage charges, according to law enforcement.
“Journalist Evan Gershkovich was detained by the Lefortovo court in connection with a spying case, law enforcement agencies informed us. A coercive measure in the form of detention was chosen, our agency source said,” Tass reported.
The case of The Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich is marked “top secret” as Gershkovich did not admit his guilt, Russian state news agency TASS reported on Thursday, citing law enforcement.
The court decided that the journalist, as a restrictive measure, should be detained in a pretrial detention center, TASS reported.
The journalist was placed under arrest for one month and 29 days until May 29, the court’s Press service said Thursday.
“By the decision of the Lefortovsky District Court of Moscow dated March 30, 2023, in relation to E. Gershkovich, suspected of having committed a crime under article 276 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, a preventive measure was chosen in the form of detention for a period of 1 month 29 days, that is, until May 29, 2023”, says the press service statement of the court.
