American journalist Evan Gershkovich, arrested in Russia last week, was formally charged this Friday with “espionage”, an accusation he “categorically” rejects, Russian news agencies reported.
According to Interfax, Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal correspondent who also worked for the France-Presse agency (AFP) in the past, is being prosecuted under Article 276 of Russia’s Penal Code, a charge that carries a 20-year prison sentence. . imprisonment.
Authorities “accused Gershkovich of espionage on behalf of his country”. The journalist categorically denied all allegations and said his activities in Russia were journalism, Russia’s TASS agency reported, citing an anonymous source in the security forces.
The indictment paves the way for a trial, the date of which has not yet been announced.
The reporter was detained last week by the Russian security services (FSB) while reporting in Yekaterinburg, in the Urals. Authorities accused him of collecting information about the defense industry.
The United States and the Wall Street Journal rejected the espionage charges and called on the Kremlin to release the 31-year-old journalist, a US citizen of Russian descent.
His detention comes against the background of increasing repression of the press in Russia since the offensive against Ukraine, which has strained relations between Moscow and Washington.
There will also be an exchange in December between American basketball star Brittney Griner detained in Russia and Russian arms dealer Viktor But, who is in prison in the United States.
Washington has repeatedly accused Moscow of arbitrarily arresting Americans to use them as a bargaining chip to bring back Russians held in the United States.
For their part, the Democratic and Republican leaders of the US Senate today called for Gershkovich’s release.
“We strongly condemn the arbitrary detention of this American citizen and Wall Street Journal reporter,” Democrat Chuck Schumer and Republican Mitch McConnell wrote in a rare joint statement.
The two congressional leaders demanded the “immediate release of this internationally respected independent journalist”.
Source: DN
