An American journalist from the Wall Street Journal
was arrested in Russia on charges of espionage
, the Federal Security Service (FBS) announced Thursday, quoted by Russian press agencies.
"The FSB thwarted the illegal activities of US citizen Evan Gershkovich (...)
a correspondent for the Moscow bureau
of the US newspaper The Wall Street Journal," the FSB said in the statement, quoted by the agencies.
He is "suspected of spying for the US government" and of gathering information "on a company in the Russian military-industrial complex."
The espionage arrest of a foreign journalist is unprecedented in recent Russian history.
The arrest came amid bitter tensions between Moscow and Washington over the war in Ukraine.
He was arrested on suspicion of "spying in the interests of the US government" and of collecting information "about a company of the Russian military-industrial complex."
AFP photo.
Before starting work for the American newspaper in 2022, Gershkovich was a correspondent for AFP in Moscow and before that for the English-language daily Moscow Times.
Of Russian origin, the 31-year-old journalist speaks Russian perfectly
and his parents live in the United States.
The Wall Street Journal concern
The Wall Street Journal stated that
he "strongly denies the accusations"
and demanded the immediate release of his worker.
“We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family,” the newspaper noted.
Evan Gershkovich, the American reporter for The Wall Street Journal newspaper.
AFP photo.
"The Wall Street Journal is deeply concerned for the safety of Gershkovich," an American national, the newspaper said in a statement.
News in development
