A Smile Amid Grim News for Detained Reporter

The first US journalist to be held by Russia on allegations of spying since 1986 saw his pretrial detention extended for a fifth time on Tuesday. Evan Gershkovich was ordered to remain in Moscow's Lefortovo Prison until June 30; the Wall Street Journal reporter has been there since March 29, 2023. The latest:

• Legal context: The Journal notes that under Russian law, investigators may have "up to a year in criminal cases deemed particularly complex to prepare for a trial," but they can obtain extensions beyond that "in exceptional circumstances." The extension request was made by investigators from the Federal Security Service, or FSB.

• How Gershkovich appeared: The New York Times reports video showed the 32-year-old "wearing dark denim jeans and a plaid shirt in court ... with his hands in his pockets ... A few still images showed Mr. Gershkovich smiling through the glare of the [courthouse] cage."
• Standout quote I: From US Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy, per the AP: "The accusations against Evan are categorically untrue. They are not a different interpretation of circumstances. They are fiction. No justification for Evan's continued detention, and no explanation as to why Evan doing his job as a journalist constituted a crime."
• Standout quote II: From the Journal: "Journalism is not a crime, and we continue to demand his immediate release."
• The stakes: Those convicted of espionage in Russia can face sentences of up to 20 years. Per the Journal, "It is rare for a court to acquit a defendant in such cases."

(More Evan Gershkovich stories.)