A Moscow court ruled Thursday that Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich must stay in jail on espionage charges until the end of November, Russian state news agency Tass reported.

Gershkovich has been sitting in jail since the end of March when he was detained in the city of Yekaterinburg, almost 2,000km (1200 miles) east of Moscow, while on a reporting trip. The latest ruling means he faces spending at least eight months in prison.

  • Tedesche@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I realize we can’t just stop sending reporters to Russia, but damn… I don’t know why anyone from the U.S. would travel to Russia when Putin is using incarceration as a means of bullying the U.S. into prisoner swaps.

    Also, I’m going to take the opportunity to revive the complaint that Britney Griner was incredibly privileged to get rescued the way she was, the trade was not worth it, and there are other U.S. citizens languishing in Russian prisons that aren’t being rescued simply because they aren’t making headlines the way Griner did. Her fame was the only reason she got out and it’s totally unfair.

    • awwwyissss@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      Yeah. The US traded a basketball player who made a dumb decision for a warlord. Not a good trade.

      • SeaJ@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        More of a lord of war. Wasn’t he also due to be released soon anyway?

        • awwwyissss@lemm.ee
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          1 year ago

          Yeah thanks much better term, he was an arms dealer. I’m not sure when he was due to be released.

          Looking back, I guess he returned to Russia and helped them prepare to invade Ukraine m

          • fuzzzerd
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            1 year ago

            I think it was a reference to the movie based on him, called Lord Of War.

  • shastaxc@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    the city of Yekaterinburg, almost 2,000km (1200 miles) east of Moscow

    I think it’s funny that there’s so little in Russia that the nearest recognizable landmark is 1200 miles away.