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American Wall Street Journal Reporter Appeals Spying Arrest in Russia

Evan Gershkovich, 31, was detained last week and now faces up to 20 years in jail.

Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter arrested and accused of spying in Russia, has filed an appeal against his arrest, state media reported on Monday. The 31-year-old journalist was formally accused of espionage—a crime that could incur a maximum 20-year sentence—after he was detained in Russia last week. “The court received a complaint from Gershkovich’s defense against the choice of a preventive measure in the form of detention,” the Lefortovo Court of Moscow told the TASS news agency on Monday. No date to hear Gershkovich’s appeal has yet been set. The arrest sparked widespread condemnation in the U.S., with President Biden demanding that Russian authorities “let him go” when asked about the case Friday.