Russia has defied pleas for the release of Wall Street Journal correspondent Evan Gershkovich by extending his detention for three more months. Gershkovich, who strongly denies the allegations of spying, was arrested in March and is the first journalist to be arrested by Moscow since the Cold War. The extension has sent a chill through media circles and sparked international calls for his immediate release. The State Department, along with other countries, has urged Russia to release Gershkovich and another detained American, Paul Whelan. The Wall Street Journal has expressed its deep disappointment and continues to push for his release, stating that journalism is not a crime. US President Joe Biden has previously called for Gershkovich’s release. Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has also demanded his release, highlighting the lack of fair trials in Russia. Gershkovich, who has reported extensively on the Ukraine offensive, is believed to have been working on a story about the Wagner private military company at the time of his arrest. He has been held in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison, known for its near-total isolation. The United States has frozen most high-level contact with Russia but has arranged prisoner swaps, including one that freed American basketball star Brittney Griner.