Officially charged in Russia for “espionage”, the American journalist received this Friday the support of his newspaper which denounces “totally false” charges.
The Wall Street Journal on Friday denounced the “totally false” charges against American journalist Evan Gershkovich, officially charged in Russia with “espionage”.
“As we have said from the start, these charges are totally false and unwarranted, and we will continue to demand Evan’s immediate release,” the business daily said in a statement.
Calls for release
According to the Russian news agency Interfax, Evan Gershkovich is more specifically prosecuted on the basis of article 276 of the Russian criminal code, a charge punishable by 20 years in prison.
This indictment paves the way for a trial, the date of which has not yet been announced.
The reporter was arrested last week by Russian security services while reporting in Yekaterinburg, in the Urals. The authorities accused him in particular of gathering information on the Russian defense industry.
As the Wall Street Journalthe American authorities, Joe Biden and his Secretary of State Antony Blinken in the lead, called on the Kremlin to release the journalist.
But Moscow assured the new American ambassador to Russia, Lynne Tracy, on Thursday that it was “useless” to exert pressure in this file.
