MOSCOW (AP) 鈥� A Russian court has extended the arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich by three months, Russian news agencies reported Tuesday.
Gershkovich, an American citizen, was ordered held until Aug. 30. He had been arrested in March on espionage charges on a reporting trip in Russia. He, his employer and the U.S. government have denied the charges.
Gershkovich is the first U.S. correspondent since the Cold War to be detained in Russia on spying charges, and his arrest rattled journalists in the country and drew outrage in the West.
The U.S. government has declared Gershkovich to be 鈥渨rongfully detained鈥� and demanded his immediate release. He鈥檚 being held in Moscow鈥檚 Lefortovo prison.
Tuesday鈥檚 court hearing wasn鈥檛 announced in advance, and the entire case has been wrapped in secrecy. Russian authorities haven鈥檛 detailed what evidence -- if any -- they have to support the espionage charges. Various legal proceedings have been closed to the media.
U.S. Embassy officials were allowed at least one prison visit to Gershkovich since his arrest in Yekaterinburg on March 29. But Russian authorities have denied other visits.
The Associated Press
