Detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich loses appeal in Russian court

LONDON -- The detained Wall Street Journal reporter, Evan Gershkovich, has had his appeal for release denied by a Russian court for the third time.

The Moscow City Court rejected the appeal of the defense of Evan Gershkovich, a correspondent for the Moscow bureau of The Wall Street Journal, accused of espionage, against the decision of the first instance to extend his arrest until the end of November, an Interfax correspondent reported.

“The decision of the Lefortovo Court of Moscow dated August 24, 2023 on extending the period of detention in relation to Gershkovich until November 30, 2023 is left unchanged, the appeal is not satisfied,” says the court decision announced on Tuesday.

The court hearing was held behind closed doors because the materials of the criminal case are classified.

Gershkovich appeared inside a plexiglass and wood box inside the Russian courtroom on Tuesday morning. He has had two failed appeals since his arrest in March on espionage charges.

Previously, Gershkovich's lawyers stated that, in the opinion of the defense, a preventive measure not related to detention in a pre-trial detention center could be chosen for him.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.