Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich appeals against arrest, Russian state media says

A Wall Street Journal reporter held in Russia has appealed his arrest, according to reports from Russian state-owned media outlets.

Evan Gershkovich, an American investigative journalist working for the WSJ, was detained at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport last month on suspicion of violating Russia's Foreign Agents Law. The law requires individuals working on behalf of foreign governments or organizations to register with Russian authorities.

Gershkovich's lawyers have submitted an appeal against his arrest, arguing that their client is a legitimate journalist and does not fall under the law's purview. However, Russian state media outlets are portraying the WSJ as biased and meddling in Russia's internal affairs.

In an interview with Russian news agency RIA, Gershkovich's lawyer claimed that her client was "arbitrarily detained" and that there were "no grounds" for his arrest. The WSJ has maintained that its reporter is simply doing his job, reporting on international news.

The detention of foreign journalists in Russia has become increasingly common since the country's invasion of Ukraine earlier this year. International organizations and governments have expressed concern over the treatment of foreign media in Russia, with many calling for their release.

This Evan Gershkovich situation is getting super weird I mean, I'm not saying he's innocent or anything, but come on, it seems like Russia is just trying to suppress any bad press about their war in Ukraine. The WSJ has got a rep for being tough and in-depth, they're not exactly known for being biased And what's with this "Foreign Agents Law" thing? It sounds like some old Soviet-era nonsense Anyways, I'm keeping an eye on this situation - hope Gershkovich gets out of there ASAP

OMG you guys, what is going on with Evan Gershkovich?! He was just doing his job as a journalist and now he's basically a prisoner in Russia ! I mean, I get it, the WSJ is trying to cover all angles, but come on, this is taking it too far. The Russian government can't just detain people for reporting on international news . It's like, hello, we're not here to meddle, we're here to report ! And now his lawyers are saying he was "arbitrarily detained" which is basically code for "we don't like what you're saying" . I'm keeping my eye on this one, it's gonna be a wild ride .

omg u cant believe whats going on w/ Evan Gershkovich ! so he gets held up at airport cuz hes reporting on internashnal news lol like what is russia even worried about? its just journalism, ppl get it . i dont think the wsj should be biased or medling in russia's affairs either, thats just not right. but seriously, detaining journalists is super sketchy... like whats next? are they gonna start arresting people who post on twitter ? i hope Gershkovich gets outta there soon .

man what's going on w that journalist Evan Gershkovich he was just doing his job reporting news but now he's stuck in russia like how can they do this to him? it's not cool at all Russia needs to respect the freedom of press and journalists

I think it's super concerning that Evan Gershkovich is being held in Russia on suspicion of violating some law just because he's working for a Western news outlet . It's like, his job is to report on international news, not to get arrested for doing his thing . The fact that the WSJ is accused of being biased and meddling in Russia's affairs seems fishy to me . I mean, shouldn't journalists be able to do their job without fear of retribution or arrest? It's like they're saying "hey, you're just a foreigner, we don't like your presence here" . The international community should keep an eye on this and push for Gershkovich's release ASAP