The Wall Street Journal reporter’s appeal was denied Evan Gershkowitz by a Moscow court. The American citizen appeared at a hearing on Tuesday to appeal the terms of his detention.

Gerskovich asked to be under house arrest during his pretrial detention, rather than jail. His pre-trial detention concerns charges of “espionage”. Evan Gerskovich has been remanded in custody until at least May 29. The 31-year-old journalist, known for the quality of his journalistic work and his seriousness, faces 20 years in prison.

US Ambassador to Russia Lynn Tracy said she spoke with Gershkowitz on Monday and he remains strong and in good health.

“The charges against Evan are baseless and we call on the Russian Federation to release him immediately,” Ms Tracy said, speaking after the court’s ruling on Tuesday.

The American journalist appeared for the first time since his arrest almost three weeks ago before a Russian court locked in a glass cage.

Wearing a plaid shirt and jeans, with his arms folded and his eyes calm and determined, seeming to defy the accusations, Evan Gershkowitz stared at the reporters speechless.

The meeting was held behind closed doors.

The Russian secret service (FSB) arrested the journalist reporting in Yekaterinburg at the end of March. The Kremlin says he was arrested “on his own” to spy. The file is confidential, and no evidence has emerged to support the charge.

The arrest of Evan Gershkovic came as a shock, as no Western journalist has been arrested and charged with espionage in Russia in decades.

In the morning, the Russian anti-war activist Yaroslav Shirshikov, who had first announced the arrest of Ivan Gershkovic, was arrested in turn during a raid by the special forces of the Russian police.