According to the US government - Russia rejects offer to release US journalists
According to Moscow, the US government has made a new offer for the release of US citizens Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, who are being held in custody in Russia.
"In recent weeks, we have made a new and significant proposal to secure the release of Paul and Evans. That proposal was rejected by Russia," said US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller. He did not give details of the offer. It was not the case that Moscow did not respond, Miller continued. It was an explicit rejection. Miller emphasized that Gershkovich and Whelan were wrongly imprisoned.
Gershkovich, Russia correspondent for the "Wall Street Journal", was arrested at the end of March on a reporting trip to Yekaterinburg for alleged espionage. The public prosecutor's office accuses him of collecting state secrets about the activities of a Russian arms company "on the instructions of the American side". Gershkovich and his employer, the "Wall Street Journal", deny that he was involved in espionage. A Moscow district court recently extended Gershkovich's pre-trial detention until January 30. The American Whelan has already been in custody in Russia for several years - also for alleged espionage.
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Source: www.stern.de
