The appeal against the pretrial detention of the journalist Evan Gerskovich, who is accused of espionage, was rejected by a Moscow court. The Wall Street Journal reporter denies the charge, which could lead to up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

US Ambassador Lynne Tracy, who was not allowed into the hearing, told reporters outside that she was “extremely disappointed” by the decision. He praised Gershkowitz, 31, for his “remarkable strength and resilience” and reiterated the US position that the charges against him were baseless. “He is an innocent journalist who was carrying out journalistic activities and was unjustly detained. Such hostage diplomacy is unacceptable,” Tracy said.

The Kremlin, for its part, said Gershkovich was caught red-handed on a trip to the Urals city of Yekaterinburg, where the FSB security service alleged he was trying to obtain military secrets. He provided no evidence to substantiate this claim, which the Wall Street Journal vehemently denies.

The reporter’s parents Mikhail Gershkovich and Ella Milman, who left the Soviet Union for the United States in 1979, were in court to support their son. They then left without speaking to reporters.