Russian court rejects new appeal by US reporter Evan Gershkovich

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who is in custody on espionage charges, makes a heart-shaped gesture inside an enclosure for defendants before a court hearing in Moscow, Russia, April 23, 2024. REUTERS/Tatyana Makeyeva

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian court on Tuesday rejected the latest in a series of appeals by Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich against his pre-trial detention on charges of espionage.

Gershkovich, 32, became the first U.S. journalist arrested on spying charges in Russia since the Cold War when he was detained by the Federal Security Service (FSB) on March 29 last year. He, his newspaper and the U.S. government all deny he is a spy.