US condemns arrest of WSJ journalist as Russia accused of ‘hostage taking’

Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, has condemned Russia's arrest of the Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, as Moscow was accused of engaging in "hostage taking" by arresting a high-profile journalist who could be used as leverage in a potential prisoner swap.

"In the strongest possible terms, we condemn the Kremlin's continued attempts to intimidate, repress and punish journalists and civil society voices," Blinken said in a statement.

The White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, also condemned the arrest and said "These espionage charges are ridiculous. The targeting of American citizens by the Russian government is unacceptable".

Both Blinken and Jean-Pierre advised any US citizens still in Russia to leave immediately.

Gershkovich was detained on Wednesday during a reporting trip to the Urals city of Ekaterinburg. On Thursday, he appeared at the Lefortovo courthouse in Moscow for a brief hearing at which the charges were officially presented. The court ordered him to be held in pre-trial detention until at least 29 May, local media reported.

Russia's FSB security service claimed Gershkovich "was collecting classified information about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military industrial complex". The charges carry a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.

"The Wall Street Journal vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich. We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family," the newspaper said in a statement.