Russia extends detention of WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich by 3 months

• Gershkovich's detention had been set to expire on May 29, per TASS.

State of play: Tuesday's court hearing wasn't announced beforehand, per AP.

• The hearing was held behind closed doors because some of the case materials are classified, TASS reported.
• A Russian court in April upheld Gershkovich's detention, rejecting his lawyers' request to release him on bail or house arrest.
• Gershkovich, who has been held at Moscow's infamous Lefortovo Prison, could face up to 20 years in prison if ultimately convicted of espionage.

The big picture: Gershkovich's arrest marked the first time a U.S. journalist was detained in an espionage case in Russia since the Cold War, per the Committee to Protect Journalists.

• The U.S. officially declared last month that he had been "wrongfully detained" by Russia.

• At the time of his arrest, the FSB accused Gershkovich of trying to obtain classified information "on the instructions of the United States" — an allegation the Wall Street Journal "vehemently" denied.
• Russia's arrest of Gershkovich marked a continuation of the Kremlin's crackdown on independent media and dissent within the county, which escalated with the onset of the Ukraine invasion.

Editor note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.