According to two Russian news media, Wall Street Journal writer Evan Gershkovich, who is currently in jail, has been charged with espionage in Russia and has officially denied the charge.
The Russian Federal Security Service, or FSB, allegedly officially charged the American journalist, according to reports from the state news media Tass and the Interfax news agency.
The news sources did not specify when or under what circumstances Gershkovich was officially accused; nonetheless, in most cases, suspects are given a document explaining the charges.
In the Russian legal system, the formal beginning of a criminal investigation is marked by the filing of accusations and a response from the accused. This marks the beginning of what might be a protracted and secretive Russian judicial process.
According to Tass’s source, “Gershkovich was accused of spying for his nation during the FSB inquiry. He vehemently refuted all charges and claimed that he was working as a journalist in Russia.”
The source chose not to elaborate further due to the classified nature of the case.
On March 29, Russian authorities detained 31-year-old Gershkovich in Yekaterinburg, the country’s fourth-largest city. He is the first American journalist to be jailed for alleged espionage since the end of the Cold War.
The FSB accused Gershkovich especially of attempting to gather sensitive information on a Russian weapons manufacture. The charges have been refuted by The Wall Street Journal.
Case sparking outrage around the world
There has been a worldwide uproar over the case.
Friday’s top two Senate leaders asked that Moscow promptly free Gershkovich in a rare bipartisan statement from the United States. “Journalism is not a crime,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, both Democrats from New York.
As a “independent journalist who is well-known and respected internationally,” they lauded Gershkovich.
Both Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and American President Joe Biden called for the reporter’s immediate release on Wednesday.
The subject was discussed on Thursday by the American ambassador to Russia and a senior Russian official.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov emphasised “the serious nature of the charges” against Gershkovich in his meeting with American Ambassador Lynne T. Tracy, according to a Russian Foreign Ministry statement.
Reporter ‘caught red-handed,’ according to Russia
The assertion that the reporter “was caught red-handed while trying to get secret material, using his journalistic standing as a cover for unlawful conduct” was repeated by earlier Russian claims.
For the first time since his imprisonment, attorneys for Gershkovich visited with him on Tuesday, according to Wall Street Journal editor-in-chief Emma Tucker.
The reporter is healthy, according to Tucker, and “is appreciative of the support received from people all over the world. We keep requesting his swift release.”
In Russia, a two-month detention order was issued for Gershkovich while an investigation was conducted. A defence appeal of his detention was submitted to a court in Moscow on Monday, the court announced; the appeal will be heard on April 18, according to Russian news organisations.
