US journalist Evan Gershkovich of the Wall Street Journal appeared before a Russian court on Tuesday at the start of an appeal hearing to determine whether he will remain in pretrial detention at Moscow’s Lefortovo prison until at least May 29. It is his first public appearance since his arrest in late March.
Locked in the typical glass cages of Russian courts, similar to the one that locked up the dissident who was sentenced to 25 years in prison yesterday, Gershkovich remained silent, with his arms crossed and a smile directed at the journalists’ cameras.
The Russian security service FSB arrested Gershkovich last month on espionage charges that carry a possible sentence of 20 years in prison, a charge the journalist strongly denies. The United States calls for his immediate release, considering that he has been “unfairly detained.”
