The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded that Russia's arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich "lacks a legal basis and is arbitrary," the WSJ reported on Tuesday. The report was concluded in March but was not published until today. Gershkovich was charged with espionage on behalf of the United States and his trial started in late June, Ednews reports.
"There is a striking lack of any factual or legal substantiation provided by the authorities of the Russian Federation for the espionage charges against Mr. Gershkovich," the working group found. It also said Gershkovich was detained in order to "punish his reporting" on the Russia-Ukraine war and noted "numerous violations" of his right to a fair trial and to due process. The working group added that Gershkovich's treatment during appearances in court, including placing him in a glass cage, "have contributed to undermining the presumption of his innocence, by pre-emptively labeling him as a significant security risk."