Another defeat in a Russian court
Evan Gershkovich, the American Wall Street Journal reporter being held in a Russian prison on charges of espionage, lost an appeal today in court. His extended detention remains in place. He was ordered to remain in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison until at least August 30.Gershkovich was held in a transparent box in the courtroom. It is being reported that he smiled briefly and was wearing a dark t-shirt and jeans.
In May, a Moscow district court judge granted a request from the Federal Security Service (FSB) to extend his detention while he is waiting to go to trial. His lawyer appealed that ruling and that is why Evan was in court again today.
I’ve written about Evan’s arrest and detention several times and every time, I feel a little conflicted. To be honest, I think his case is getting more attention, more quickly, than other Americans being detained in Russia. The reason he is getting more attention than some is because he is a reporter for a large, well-respected media outlet, the Wall Street Journal. Evan is a WSJ reporter based in Moscow, reporting out of its bureau there. He is the first reporter to be detained in Russia since the end of the Cold War. That gives his case a little extra interest and his employer is doing a good job keeping his case in its news coverage. I don’t begrudge any of that, in fact I expect it. I just feel compelled to mention others being detained in Russia, too. The ones who don’t get the extra coverage. It’s also how I felt about Brittney Griner, the WNBA player who was able to rally support among other professional athletes, the White House, and professional black women groups to demand her release.
