Russia arrests Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on spying charge

Russia’s security service arrested an American reporter for The Wall Street Journal on espionage charges, the first time a U.S.

correspondent has been detained on spying accusations since the Cold War. The newspaper denied the allegations and demanded his release.Evan Gershkovich was detained in the city of Yekaterinburg while allegedly trying to obtain classified information, the Federal Security Service, known by the acronym FSB, said Thursday.The service, which is the top domestic security agency and main successor to the Soviet-era KGB, alleged that Gershkovich "was acting on instructions from the American side to collect information about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex that constitutes a state secret.""The Wall Street Journal vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich," the newspaper said. "We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family."FILE - A picture taken on July 24, 2021, shows journalist Evan Gershkovich.

The US reporter for The Wall Street Journal newspaper has been detained in Russia for espionage, Russian news agencies reported on March 30, 2023, citing the FSB security ser The arrest comes at a moment of bitter tensions between the West and Moscow over its war in Ukraine and as the Kremlin intensifies a crackdown on opposition activists, independent journalists and civil society groups.

The sweeping campaign of repression is unprecedented since the Soviet era — and activists say it often means the very profession of journalism is criminalized, as are the activities of ordinary Russians who oppose the war.Earlier this week, a Russian court convicted a father over.