Evan Gershkovich, the US reporter who accuses Russia of espionage, is appealing against an extension of his detention.

Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter jailed in Russia on espionage charges, appealed earlier this week against a court decision that extended his detention by more than three months, The Journal confirmed Friday.

Gershkovich, 31, had already spent nearly two months in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison, known for its harsh conditions, when a court on Tuesday extended his detention until August 30. the time it was “deeply disappointed” and would continue to demand his immediate release. The appeal was filed Thursday, according to The Journal.

The White House has said Mr Gershkovich is “unjustly detained”, effectively meaning the United States considers him a political prisoner. Russia has so far provided no evidence to support the espionage allegations, and the United States, The Journal and several press freedom groups have vehemently rejected them as false.

Mr Gershkovich’s parents, Ella Milman and Mikhail Gershkovich, were admitted to the courthouse on Tuesday and were able to see their son for the first time since his March 29 arrest during a reporting tour in the central Russian city of Yekaterinburg. Mrs. Milman wore a badge with the phrase “Free Evan” – a rallying cry of the campaign for his release.