U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy made her first visit to Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on Monday, more than two weeks after Russia detained the journalist for alleged espionage.
“He is in good health and remains strong,” Tracy wrote in a tweet from the Embassy account. “We reiterate our call for his immediate release.”
Russia had so far denied the embassy’s requests for access to Gershkovich, who is being held at Moscow’s Lefortovo Prison. Gershkovich was detained in late March on suspicion of “espionage in the interests of the American government,” Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said in a statement, which was reported by Russian state media. Russian authorities have not provided evidence to support the charges.
The Wall Street Journal and the Biden administration have repeatedly denied that Gershkovich was affiliated with the U.S. government.
The Lefortovo Court in Moscow ordered Gershkovich to be detained initially until May 29, according to the official Telegram channel of the capital’s courts. Gershkovich denied the charges against him, according to the TASS state news agency. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison.
Last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinked formally declared that Russia had wrongfully detained Gershkovich.
Vedant Patel, a State Department spokesperson, said in a statement last week, “Journalism is not a crime. We condemn the Kremlin’s continued repression of independent voices in Russia, and its ongoing war against the truth.”
