Russia detains US journalist Evan Gershkovich on suspicion of spying

A US writer moving for The Wall Street Journal has been detained successful Russia connected suspicion of espionage, the FSB information work says.

Evan Gershkovich, an experienced Russia reporter, was moving successful Yekaterinburg astatine the clip of his detention.

The Wall Street Journal said it was "deeply concerned" for his information and vehemently denied the allegations against him.

The Kremlin claimed the newsman had been "caught red-handed".

The FSB said it had "halted amerciable activities" and that the newsman had been "acting connected US instructions" and "collecting authorities secrets".

Hours aboriginal the information work sought his ceremonial apprehension during a closed league astatine Lefortovo territory tribunal successful Moscow, Russian reports say.

The tribunal had earlier been cleared of unit and visitors due to the fact that of a weaponry threat, Russia's Ria authorities quality bureau said.

The FSB confirmed successful its connection that Evan Gershkovich had overseas ministry accreditation portion moving successful Yekaterinburg 1,800km (1,100 miles) eastbound of Moscow.

His past WSJ portion this week reported connected Russia's declining system and however the Kremlin was having to woody with "ballooning subject expenditures" portion maintaining societal spending.

But the FSB claimed helium had been detained "acting connected US instructions" and that helium had "collected accusation constituting a authorities concealed astir the activities of a Russian defence enterprise". A transgression espionage lawsuit was launched by the FSB's probe department, it added.

In a statement, the Wall Street Journal said it stood successful solidarity with the newsman and his family: "The Wall Street Journal vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the contiguous merchandise of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich."

The Kremlin besides commented connected the detention of the American journalist. "This is the work of the FSB, they person already issued a statement," said spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. "The lone happening I tin adhd is, arsenic acold arsenic we know, helium was caught red-handed."

Espionage successful Russia carries a maximum jailhouse word of 20 years.

Even earlier the full-scale penetration of Ukraine successful February 2022, reporting from Russia had go progressively difficult.

Independent journalists were labelled "foreign agents" and BBC Russia analogous Sarah Rainsford was expelled from the country.

When the warfare began, Russia introduced a transgression offence for reporting "fake news" oregon "discrediting the army", nether which dozens of Russians person been convicted for criticising the penetration connected societal media.

Almost each autarkic media were silenced, unopen down oregon blocked, including large outlets TV Rain, Echo of Moscow vigor and paper Novaya Gazeta. Many Western media chose to permission Russia.

Russian governmental adept Tatyana Stanovaya said Mr Gershkovich's detention had travel arsenic a shock. In the FSB's presumption of espionage, "collecting information" could simply mean gathering comments from experts, she said, portion acting connected US instructions could simply notation to his editors astatine the Wall Street Journal.

Russian overseas ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said what a Wall Street Journal worker was doing successful Yekaterinburg had "nothing to bash with journalism". It was not the archetypal clip the presumption of "foreign correspondent" had been utilized to "cover up activities that are not journalism", she said.

Tensions betwixt the Kremlin and the West person go progressively tense successful the 13 months of Russia's warfare successful Ukraine. Press state watchdog Reporters Without Borders said it was "alarmed by what looks similar retaliation".

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told section quality agencies that it was excessively aboriginal to sermon captive swaps: "I would not adjacent enactment the question successful this level now, due to the fact that you recognize that immoderate exchanges that happened successful the past took spot for radical who were already serving sentences."

Several US citizens are being held successful Russia. Days earlier the invasion, American hoops prima Brittney Griner was detained astatine a Moscow airdrome and jailed for carrying cannabis oil. It was 10 months earlier she was freed successful speech for notorious Russian arms trader Viktor Bout.