Detained US reporter ‘violated’ Russian law, says Kremlin

Moscow: The Kremlin on Tuesday said that Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich had “violated Russian law” and been caught “red-handed”, after the United States officially designated the journalist as having been “wrongfully detained” by Russia.

On Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov repeated Russia’s position that Gershkovich had broken the law.

“I don’t understand what kind of innovations this new regime is introducing. As for what it means, I don’t know,” Peskov said of the designation. He said Gershkovich had “been caught red-handed and violated the laws of the Russian Federation”, before adding: “This is what he’s suspected of, but of course, the court will make a decision.”

Gershkovich had been arrested by Russia’s federal security service (FSB) last month on charges of spying that have been widely described as “bogus” by the White House, other Western countries, the Wall Street Journal, dozens of media organisations and human rights groups.

The United States’ announcement that he was “wrongfully detained” means that the country believes he was targeted primarily because he is an American citizen.

Its transfer of the case from the State Department to the office of the Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs also sharply raises the issue’s political profile.

Over 99% of criminal cases in Russia end in a conviction for the prosecution and the country has long been criticised by rights monitors for a lack of judicial independence.

Russia has presented no evidence to support the case against Gershkovich, which is proceeding in secret because Russia says the case materials are confidential.

Next week, a court will hear an appeal from Gershkovich’s legal team against an order that he be held in pre-trial detention at Moscow’s Lefortovo prison until May 29.

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