This Monday, Russia granted consular access to the United States to visit journalist Evan Gershkovich, who has been detained since March 29 for reporting in the Urals. Ambassador Lynne Tracy was allowed to visit.

“Ambassador Tracy reported that Mr. Gershkovich is in good health and remains strong despite his circumstances,” a State Department spokesman said.

Gershkovich, who previously worked for AFPis the first Western journalist to be arrested and charged with espionage by Moscow since the Soviet era amid a sharp deterioration in relations over the war in Ukraine.

The Kremlin says Vladimir Putin was not behind the arrest of journalist Evan Gershkovich

The United States, the Wall Street Journal and Gershkovich have vehemently denied that he is a spy.

The State Department said it would continue to push for Gershkovich’s release and continued consular visits until then.

“U.S. Embassy officials will continue to provide Mr. Gershkovich and his family with all appropriate support, and we hope that the Russian authorities will continue to grant consular access,” the spokesman said.

Russia had rejected requests for new visits after the ambassador’s meeting in April, prompting protests from Washington to Moscow that it was a violation of protocol.

Russia said it was retaliating because the United States did not grant visas to Russian state-affiliated media outlets trying to visit New York during a trip to the United Nations by Secretary of State Sergei Lavrov.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week expressed concern over Russia’s refusal to grant Gershkovich consular access, saying the US insisted on it “practically every day”.

“At the same time, we continue to look for ways to bring him home,” said Blinken, as well as Paul Whelan, a former US Marine who has been imprisoned for more than four years.

A Moscow court on June 22 rejected an appeal to release Gershkovich.

Tracy attended the hearing and said the United States was “extremely disappointed”.