The Wall Street Journal's (WSJ) reporter Evan Gershkovich has been officially charged with espionage and pleaded not guilty to those charges, a Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) representative told TASS on Friday.
The source said that the reporter "categorically denied all accusations" and insisted he was "engaged in journalistic activities in Russia." They declined to comment further as the case has been classified as "top secret."
The White House described Russia's decision to arrest Gershkovich and charge him with espionage as "ridiculous" and "a tactic Russia has used for a long time" against the United States. Earlier, the Lefortovsky District Court of Moscow ruled the journalist should remain in detention for two months.
