WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich appears in Moscow court to appeal extended detention

MOSCOW — Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter detained on espionage charges in Russia, appeared in court Thursday to appeal his extended detention.

US citizen Gershkovich, 31, was arrested in late March while on a reporting trip. A Moscow court agreed last month to keep him in custody until August 30. Defense lawyers challenged the decision, and the Moscow City Court was considering the appeal on Thursday.

Gershkovich, wearing a black T-shirt and light blue jeans, looked tense and paced around inside a glass defendant’s cage while waiting for the hearing to begin. Within minutes, other journalists in the courtroom were asked to leave and the hearing began behind closed doors.

Gershkovich and his employer have denied he spied in Russia. The US government has declared him to be wrongfully detained and demanded his immediate release.

His arrest in the city of Yekaterinburg rattled journalists in Russia, where authorities have not detailed what, if any, evidence they have gathered to support the espionage charges.

Gershkovich is being held at Moscow’s Lefortovo prison, which is notorious for its harsh conditions. US Embassy officials were allowed to visit him once, but Russian authorities rejected two other requests to see him.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters on Thursday that the ministry is considering another visit request from the embassy.