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Same song, different verse. American journalist Evan Gershkovich is sitting in a Russian prison cell on charges of espionage.
Evan’s appeal was rejected today in a Russian court. That’s the bad news. The good news, if we can believe it is true, is that Russian officials claim that confidential discussions are being conducted about prisoner exchanges between Washington, D.C., and Moscow.
Gershkovich is 32 years old. He was detained over a year ago while on a reporting trip to the city of Yekaterinburg. He is a reporter for the Wall Street Journal based at their Moscow bureau. He is a U.S. citizen. Evan is the first reporter imprisoned in Russia since the end of the Cold War.
The rejection of his appeal on Tuesday means he will be held behind bars until at least June 30. There is still no trial date set, though he has been held for over a year.
The State Department has declared Evan as wrongfully detained. This designation commits the U.S. government to work for his release. He is being held on an allegation of espionage. Evan, the Wall Street Journal, and the U.S. government deny Evan is a spy.
After a closed-door hearing in Moscow at the First Appeals Court of General Jurisdiction, the judge addressed Gershkovich.
“Evan Gershkovich, do you understand the decision made by the court and the procedure and deadline for appealing it?” the judge asked.
“All clear,” Gershkovich replied.
A U.
