A Russian court on Friday extended the detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich by two months.
A Moscow court ruled that Gershkovich will remain behind bars on espionage charges until the end of March, bringing his detention to one year.
Gershkovich and The Wall Street Journal have denied the allegations against him. Russia has not provided any evidence in the criminal case.
U.S. Consul General Stuart Wilson attended Friday’s hearing, according to The Associated Press.
The 32-year-old Gershkovich was arrested while on a reporting trip in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg. He is being held in Moscow’s notorious Lefortovo Prison.
Lynne Tracy, the U.S. ambassador to Russia, visited Gershkovich last week in prison. Afterward, the U.S. Embassy in Moscow issued a statement calling for the reporter’s immediate release, adding that he “remains resilient and is grateful for the support of friends, family and supporters.”
Paul Whelan, another American, has been held since he was convicted of espionage in 2020. Whelan and the U.S. government say he is being wrongfully detained.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said recently that the U.S. is working on obtaining the release of both Whelan and Gershkovich.