The Kremlin said Thursday that absolute silence is needed when it comes to discussions about possible prisoner exchanges involving Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal journalist arrested in Russia a year ago on espionage charges.
Gershkovich, 32, became the first American journalist arrested on espionage charges in Russia since the Cold War when he was arrested by the Federal Security Service (FSB) on March 29.
The journalist, the Journal and the American government deny that he is a spy. Russia says he was caught red-handed.
Asked when a court will hear Gershkovich’s case or whether there will be a prisoner exchange, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: “We have no information about the court, it’s not our prerogative.”
“Regarding trade issues, we have repeatedly emphasized that some contacts exist, but they must take place in absolute silence,” Peskov said, adding that public comments on this topic are an obstacle.
The FSB, the main successor to the Soviet-era KGB, claimed that Gershkovich was trying to obtain military secrets.
He has already spent almost a year in Moscow’s maximum security Lefortovo prison, closely associated with the FSB, and his detention has been extended until June 30.
Source: Terra
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