Russia's foreign minister has said that Moscow has irrefutable evidence that imprisoned Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich is guilty of espionage, one day before Gershkovich is scheduled to appear in court.
Sergey Lavrov blamed American journalists for helping delay US-Russia talks regarding a possible prisoner exchange by publicizing the confidential negotiations, which he said are still ongoing.
Lavrov told a UN news conference on Wednesday that Gershkovich's case has nothing to do with any attacks on journalism.
I would like to assure you that, just as much as you do, we are in favor of journalism and freedom of speech, Lavrov said in answer to a reporter's question.
On March 29, 2023, Gershkovich was arrested while on a reporting trip in Yekaterinburg, a city in the Ural Mountains. Russian authorities did not offer any evidence that he was gathering secret information for the United States.
Last month, the Russian Prosecutor General's office accused Gershkovich of .
