The court in Moscow rejected the appeal of the American Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich (Gershkovich) and supported the decision of the first instance court ordering his detention until the end of August.
American citizen Geršković (31) was arrested at the end of March while he was in Russia on a journalistic assignment. Last month, a Moscow court sentenced him to prison until August 30, to which his lawyers filed an appeal, which was rejected by the Moscow City Court today.
Geršković attended the hearing, which was closed to the public, and he was in a glass cage for the accused.
The hearing was attended by his parents, as well as the US ambassador to Russia, Lynn Tracy. Speaking to the press after the hearing, Ambassador Tracy said that "Evan shows extraordinary strength and endurance in these very difficult circumstances."
Gershkovic and his employer have denied that he spied in Russia. The US government said he was unjustly detained and demanded his immediate release.
His arrest in Yekaterinburg has upset journalists in Russia, where authorities have not provided details of the evidence they have to support the espionage charge.
Geršković is in Moscow's Lefortovo prison, notorious for its harsh conditions. US embassy officials were allowed to visit him once, but later requests to visit were denied by Russian authorities.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters today that the Ministry is considering another request from the embassy for a visit.
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