Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was on Thursday remanded in custody on espionage charges brought by Russia's FSB security agency, the Reuters news agency reported.
The FSB said Gershkovich was detained in Yekaterinburg, on the eastern side of the Ural mountains, and claimed he was “trying to obtain secret information” about “the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex,” broadcaster CNN reported.
A Moscow district court said on Thursday that Gershkovich would be held in pre-trial custody until at least May 29, according to Reuters.
The Polish foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday that it "strongly protests against the detention of journalist Evan Gershkovich in Russia and demands his immediate release."
It added it believes that "the repressive actions of the Russian authorities against journalists, sportsmen and scientists performing their professional duties should meet with an adequate response."
"At the same time we renew the warnings for Polish citizens regarding any travel to the Russian Federation," the Polish foreign ministry said in its statement.
(gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, gov.pl, Reuters, cnn.com