Within the first photos from the courtroom revealed by information companies, Gershkovich stood inside a glass-enclosed defendants dock, sporting a blue plaid shirt along with his arms folded in entrance of him. He made no feedback to the handfuls of journalists who had been let inside for a photograph alternative earlier than the listening to, which was carried out behind closed doorways due to the supposedly delicate nature of the costs.
Gershkovich, 31, was detained in late March whereas on a reporting journey to the town of Yekaterinburg within the Urals. The Federal Safety Service, or FSB, accused him of making an attempt to acquire labeled data, a declare that Gershkovich, his employer and the U.S. authorities have strenuously denied.
Shortly after Gershkovich’s arrest, the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, stated the journalist had been “caught red-handed.” Nevertheless, neither Peskov nor Russian regulation enforcement officers have disclosed any proof to again up the declare.
Just a few hours earlier than the listening to began in Moscow, Russian regulation enforcement officers detained an activist and public relations knowledgeable, Yaroslav Shirshikov, who was amongst folks contacted by Gershkovich for an interview earlier than his arrest, the Kommersant newspaper reported Tuesday.
In clips posted on the favored messaging app Telegram, plainclothes brokers had been proven storming into Shirshikov’s condominium, throwing the person on the bottom and handcuffing him.
The fees in opposition to Shirshikov weren’t clear, and officers didn’t publicly hyperlink his detention to Gershkovich’s case. However the activist was one of many first folks to sound alarm after the journalist’s disappearance and has stated that he gave an interview to Gershkovich and aided him along with his reporting earlier than his arrest.
Final week, the State Department labeled Gershkovich as “wrongfully detained,” that means that his case receives particular consideration throughout the U.S. authorities. Gershkovich might resist 20 years in jail if convicted.
In Russia, such prosecutions can take many months earlier than a verdict is delivered, and Gershkovich might be largely remoted from the skin world.
On Monday, the U.S. ambassador to Russia, Lynne Tracy, said she was able to visit Gershkovich in Moscow’s Lefortovo Prison, infamous for its harsh circumstances. Tracy stated “he’s in good well being and stays robust.”
It was “the primary time we’ve been permitted entry to him since his wrongful detention greater than two weeks in the past,” she posted on Twitter. “We reiterate our name for his fast launch.”
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