Key takeaways:
- A Moscow court rejected an appeal by Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gerhskovich and upheld an earlier ruling that he should remain in jail on espionage charges until late August.
- The court ruling was broadcast to reporters, who watched it on two large TV screens in a separate room.
- Gerhskovich’s lawyers have said they will appeal the decision to the European Court of Human Rights and The Wall Street Journal has called for his immediate release.
A Moscow court on Thursday rejected an appeal by Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gerhskovich and upheld an earlier ruling that he should remain in jail on espionage charges until late August.
Gerhskovich, 31, was arrested in late March while on a reporting trip in Russia. He was seen wearing a black T-shirt and light blue jeans, looking tense and pacing around inside a glass defendant’s cage while waiting for the hearing to begin at the Moscow City Court.
The ruling was broadcast to reporters, who watched it on two large TV screens in a separate room. Before the hearing began, other journalists in the courtroom were asked to leave and the proceedings took place behind closed doors.
The court ruled last month to keep Gerhskovich in custody until Aug. 30, but his lawyers had challenged the decision. The appeal was rejected on Thursday, with the court upholding the earlier ruling.
Gerhskovich’s lawyers have said they will appeal the decision to the European Court of Human Rights. The Wall Street Journal has called for his immediate release, saying he was detained in connection with his work as a journalist.
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