WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich prison term extended as he approaches a year behind bars

US journalist Evan Gershkovich has put on a defiant appearance in a Russian court where his pre-trial detention was extended, as Aussie leaders lend their support.

A Moscow court has extended US journalist Evan Gershkovich’s pre-trial detention until June 30, ensuring he will have spent more than one year behind bars.

Prosecutors accuse the Wall Street Journal reporter of espionage – the first such charge against a Western journalist in Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union.

The 32-year-old is being held in Moscow’s notoriously isolated Lefortovo prison and faces a maximum 20 years in jail if found guilty.

Evan Gershkovich appeared defiant as he smiled in court. Picture: Handout / Moscow City Court press service / AFP

The Moscow courts service said it had “extended the term of detention of Evan Gershkovich until June 30, 2024”, following a hearing in the Russian capital.

Gershkovich, his employers and the White House all vehemently reject the accusation, which they say was fabricated.

Friday marks one year since Gershkovich’s surprise arrest by FSB counterintelligence agents in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg.

“This verdict to further prolong Evan’s detention feels particularly painful, as this week marks one year since Evan was arrested and wrongfully detained,” US ambassador Lynne Tracy said following the verdict.

Mr Gershkovich stood inside a defendants' cage during a hearing on the extension of his pre-trial detention in Moscow. Picture: Handout / Moscow City Court press service / AFP

“The accusations against Evan are categorically untrue. They are not a different interpretation of circumstances. They are fiction,” she added outside the court.

President Vladimir Putin said in February he would like to see Gershkovich released as part of a prisoner exchange.

In remarks to conservative American TV commentator Tucker Carlson, he said talks between Russia and the United States about a possible swap were ongoing.

The Russian leader made clear he wanted any deal to involve the release of a Russian jailed in Germany for killing a Chechen dissident.

AUSSIE LEADERS REACH OUT TO EVAN

It comes as calls for Mr Gershkovich’s release cross political and cultural divides, as Australians from all walks of life raise their voice over the injustice of his detention in Russia.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong, former Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Whitlams frontman Tim Freedman have all reached out to the reporter as part of our Dear Evan campaign.

Ms Wong and Mr Abbott are not known for being a unity ticket on many issues, but they have both urged Mr Gershkovich to stay strong.

The 32-year-old is being held in Moscow’s notoriously isolated Lefortovo prison. Picture: Handout / Moscow City Court press service / AFP

In her letter, Ms Wong said Mr Gershkovich’s detention was “baseless” and Australians commended his “bravery and resolve”.

“Your reporting, and that of the Wall Street Journal, has helped the world understand contemporary Russia, including the domestic and global implications of its illegal and immoral war in Ukraine,” she wrote.

“I wish you and your family courage and hope during this very challenging time.”

Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong. Picture: David Gray/AFP

Mr Abbott struck a defiant note in his letter, saying Russia had become a “rogue state” under Vladimir Putin, and the charges against Mr Gershkovich were “simply laughable”.

Mr Gershkovich “should instantly be released because there was never any reason – other than the Putin tyranny’s desire to humiliate America – for his initial detention,” Mr Abbott said.

In his letter to Mr Gershkovich, Tim Freedman introduced himself as “a musician in Australia who has written a few protest songs over the years, but never have I had to suffer to do what I thought was right”.

He urged the detained writer to immerse himself in Russian literature while he was incarcerated, though suggested Dostoyevsky (who wrote the classic Crime and Punishment) “may seem a bit close to the bone at the moment”.

The Whitlams singer/songwriter said he hoped Mr Gershkovich was be free to “rejoin this world soon … where you can roam where you like and continue your descriptions of the truth.”

Australian singer, songwriter and pianist Tim Freedman. Picture: Damian Bennett

Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Picture: Roni Bintang/Getty Images

They join a growing group of prominent Australian leaders from the worlds of journalism, politics, business and the community showing support for the Wall Street Journal reporter, who many believe is being detained as a human bargaining chip in Vladimir Putin’s dealings with the west.

They letters of support to Mr Gershkovich will be sent to him at Moscow’s Lefortovo prison after they are translated into Russian, a condition for all messages sent to inmates at the Stalin-era facility.

Readers are encouraged to pen their own letter in support of Mr Gershkovich, who is being kept in isolation and only gets one hour of outdoor time per day.

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich who is being unjustly held in a Russian jail.

Mr Gershkovich’s plight is drawing support from across the political spectrum, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton both adding their voice to the campaign.

“Journalists speak truth to power and should never be in prison for doing their job,” Mr Albanese wrote in his letter.

“Journalism sits at the core of liberal values – freedom of expression and the public’s right to know. The world is a dangerous place and the work you do has never been more important.”

Mr Dutton compared Mr Gershkovich’s detention to the incarceration of the famous Soviet dissident Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, who defied authorities to write about political repression in the then Soviet Union.

“The freedom to think is the victory of truth over lies and control,” Mr Dutton wrote. “With thought and truth, one’s spirit can endure the most testing of circumstances.”

In her letter, former Prime Minister Julia Gillard said she was “angered by this injustice”.

“Now, more than ever, it’s crucial that the world has access to independent reporting of what is happening in Russia. As the war in Ukraine continues, and the world reacts to the murder of Alexei Navalny, it is vital that the free press can do its job and expose the truth.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Midnight Oil lead singer and former MP Peter Garrett told Mr Gershkovich that despite Australia’s distance from Russia, there was strong awareness of his situation.

“May you take some comfort from the fact that there is a strong campaign to secure your release and our deep hope is that this happens as soon as possible,” Mr Garrett wrote.

Similar comments came from the former Foreign Minister, NSW Premier and journalist Bob Carr, who urged Mr Gershkovich to “never surrender the hope that a sense of justice or at the very least some simple common sense is going to allow your return to family, country and profession”.

Midnight Oil lead singer and former MP Peter Garrett Picture: Picture: Mike Dugdale

Journalist and 10 News First newsreader Sandra Sully.

Some of Australia’s most respected journalists have also written to Mr Gershkovich, encouraging him to stay strong.

“Your detention is a stark reminder of the fragility of press freedoms and I hope all governments recognise that a free presses not a threat but a safeguard,” wrote Ten newsreader Sandra Sully.

The Project co-host Hamish Macdonald – for many years a foreign correspondent himself – said he saluted Mr Gershkovich’s “courageous reporting and bravery”.

“Freedom of the press can never be taken for granted and your predicament reminds us of this,” he wrote.

Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Picture: Tolga Akmen/Getty Images

Former foreign correspondent Hamish Macdonald.

News Corp Australia’s support of the Free Evan campaign honours the fact that this masthead is a global stablemate of the Wall Street Journal.

“As champions for freedom of speech, journalists take risks every day to advocate for unrestricted dialogue, which is crucial to a functioning democracy,” Executive Chairman of News Corp Australasia Michael Miller said.

“We will not rest until Evan Gershkovich is reunited with his family and back in a newsroom, gathering facts and telling stories as a journalist.”

Executive Chairman of News Corp Australasia Michael Miller. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Martin Ollman

Erin Madeley, the Chief Executive of the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance, which represents journalists, said “false charges of espionage are laid to prevent truthful and accurate reporting of regimes that are seeking to avoid scrutiny”.

The growing outrage over Mr Gershkovich’s detention has also moved many prominent business leaders.

Mining and renewable energy magnate Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest AO applauded Mr Gershkovich’s work, saying it was the “antidote to the misinformation that despots like Putin continue to propagate to justify their atrocities”.

Fellow AO Gina Rinehart called on the Biden administration in the US to redouble its efforts to “bring Evan home”, while Visy chairman Anthony Pratt reminded Mr Gershkovich that “You work for a great news organisation that will never give up on bringing you home.”