On Tuesday, the Moscow City Court refused to hear the appeal of American journalist Evan Gershkovich, sending it back to the Lefortovo District Court, Radio Free Europe reports.
Gershkovich, who was arrested in Russia in March on charges of espionage, appeared in court to consider his latest appeal to extend his detention.
The Moscow court extended the detention of the American journalist for three months at the end of August.
In the courtroom, Geršković was in a cage for the accused, surrounded by agents of the Russian security service FSB, from where he gave a few smiles and winks to journalists he knew.
The US ambassador to Russia, Lynn Tracy, was also in the courtroom.
Gershkovich, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, was arrested by Russian security services while reporting in Yekaterinburg on March 29 and has since been held in Lefortovo prison in Moscow, notorious for its harsh conditions.
That thirty-one-year-old journalist, who previously worked for the AFP agency in Moscow, was accused of espionage, for which he can receive 20 years in prison, but he rejects the accusations, as does Washington, his employer - the Wall Street Journal.
Russia never detailed the accusations against him or publicly provided elements of the evidence, and the entire procedure was declared secret. So far, no date has been set for his trial.
He was arrested at a very bad time between the US and Russia regarding the war in Ukraine, where Washington is supporting Kiev militarily and financially.
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