A Moscow court on Tuesday upheld the detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been accused of spying, reports Ann Simmons of The Journal.
Simmons reports, “After a closed hearing, Mr. Gershkovich, a 31-year-old American citizen, was denied bail and ordered held in the Russian capital’s Lefortovo prison pending trial. Lefortovo has often been used to house prominent political prisoners.
“The U.S. government has designated Mr. Gershkovich as wrongfully detained and called for his immediate release. The American ambassador, Lynne Tracy, who was allowed consular access to Mr. Gershkovich for the first time Monday, attended the hearing.
“‘The charges are baseless and we call on the Russian federation to immediately release’ Mr. Gershkovich, Ms. Tracy told reporters on the courthouse steps after the hearing. She also called for the release of Paul Whelan, another American being held by Russia.”
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