U.S. Ambassador Offers Encouraging Update on Health of Detained Reporter In Russia

By Riddy10 2 Min Read

The U.S. Ambassador to Russia, Lynne Tracy, has visited Evan Gershkovich, an American journalist being held in Moscow on espionage charges.

This is the first consular visit since Gershkovich’s arrest over two weeks ago. Ambassador Tracy confirmed that Gershkovich is in good health and is staying strong.

The U.S. has been demanding access to Gershkovich, who is the first American journalist to be detained in Russia on espionage charges since the Cold War ended.

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According to court documents cited by Reuters, Gershkovich plans to appeal against his arrest and detention.

The Lefortovo district court in Moscow will hear Gershkovich’s complaint on April 18. He is currently being held in the Lefortovo pretrial detention center.

The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on March 30 that they had detained Gershkovich in the city of Yekaterinburg and opened an espionage case against him.

The FSB alleges that Gershkovich collected state secrets related to the military-industrial complex. However, both the U.S. and The Wall Street Journal deny that he was involved in espionage.

GershkovichEvan WSJ 033023 AP AlexanderZemlianichenko

On April 10, the U.S. State Department designated Gershkovich as “wrongfully detained” by Russia and called for his immediate release. U.S. President Joe Biden has also called on Russia to release Gershkovich, as have international journalist organizations.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin has accused Gershkovich of carrying out espionage “under the cover” of journalism. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claims that Gershkovich was caught red-handed while trying to obtain state secrets.

The case has sparked international concern, with many calling for Gershkovich’s immediate release.

The U.S. Ambassador’s visit to the detained journalist is a positive development, but it remains to be seen what impact it will have on his case.

The hearing on April 18 will be closely watched, and Gershkovich’s supporters will be hoping that he will be released soon.

The case highlights the challenges faced by journalists working in countries with restrictive media environments, and the importance of protecting press freedom around the world.

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