The reporter has been held in pre-trial detention since his arrest in March. Moscow accuses Evan Gershkovich of espionage, which he and his newspaper deny.A Russian court on Thursday extended the pre-trial detention of US reporter Evan Gershkovig by three months.

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Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, has been detained since March on spy charges, which both he and his employer deny. Such charges could carry up to 20 years in prison.

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The US has repeatedly lobbied for his release, accusing Moscow of "hostage diplomacy." US President described Gershkovich's detention as "totally illegal."

What happened in today's hearing?

Gershkovich arrived at court on Thursday in handcuffs, wearing jeans, sneakers and a shirt. The 31-year-old US citizen was taken there in a white prison van.

A spokesperson for Moscow's Lefortovsky court said he would remain in detention "until November 30, 2023."

Earlier this month, US Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy visited the jailed reporter for a third time. She said he appeared to be in good health, despite the challenging circumstances.

Gershkovich was being held at Moscow's Lefortovo prison, which is notorious for its harsh conditions. During Soviet times, it was where suspects accused by the KGB intelligence service would be held.

The journalist was arrested in the city of Yekaterinburg, during a reporting trip to the country. He is the first US reporter to face espionage charges in Russia since the late days of the Cold War.

In September 1986, the KGB arrested Nicholas Daniloff, who was the Moscow correspondent for US News and World Report at the time.

rmt/rc (AFP, AP, Reuters)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 24, 2023 03:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).