US correspondent Gershkovich has been in a Russian prison for a year for alleged espionage. The pre-trial detention has now been extended by three months. Kremlin leader Putin recently indicated that he would be willing to exchange prisoners.
A Moscow court has extended the pre-trial detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich for another three months. This means that the American, who is being prosecuted by Russia for alleged espionage, will remain behind bars until June 30, the Moscow City Court announced on Telegram.
Espionage allegations without evidence
The negotiations against the journalist in Moscow are being held behind closed doors because the contents of the criminal proceedings are classified as secret. The Russia correspondent was arrested on a reporting trip in Yekaterinburg at the end of March 2023. The public prosecutor’s office accuses him of having collected state secrets about the activities of a Russian defense company “at the direction of the American side.” The authorities have not provided any evidence.
Gershkovich faces up to 20 years in prison. The duration of pretrial detention has already been extended several times without a date for the start of the trial being set. The US journalist and his employer reject the espionage allegations. The U.S. government said Gershkovich was being held unjustly.
Putin now ready for an exchange?
Gershkovich is the first US reporter arrested in Russia on espionage charges since 1986. He is being held in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison, which is known for its harsh conditions.
In December, the White House announced that Moscow had rejected an offer from Washington to release the journalist and another imprisoned American, Paul Whelan. Details of the offer were not disclosed.
Kremlin leader Putin raised the possibility of an exchange in an interview at the beginning of February. “It makes no sense to keep him in prison in Russia,” he said. The US should think about how it could contribute to a solution.
Putin’s statements could be interpreted as meaning a release of the zoo murderer Wadim K., who was convicted in December 2021. He murdered a Chechen exile in Berlin in 2019. K. is said to have committed the murder on behalf of Russian state authorities. However, both cases have nothing to do with each other and affect different countries.