MOSCOW, December 14. /TASS/. It’s not correct to say that Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, charged in Russia with espionage, remains in custody without trial and investigation, President Vladimir Putin said during his combined Direct Line Q&A session and year-end press conference.

"You said that [Gershkovich] is in custody without trial or any investigation but you also mentioned that his custody had been extended. If it was extended, then it was done based on a court decision, so it’s incorrect to say that it’s done without trial and investigation," Putin noted in response to a question from a US reporter.

When speaking about a possible handover of US nationals Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, Putin added: "You said, why can’t they return home? They should have refrained from committing offenses in Russia. It’s nothing but rhetoric."

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was detained in the Russian Urals city of Yekaterinburg in late March. According to the Federal Security Service (FSB), he acted at the behest of the United States, collecting information constituting a state secret about the activities of Russian defense companies. Criminal charges were filed against him under Article 276 of the Russian Criminal Code ("Espionage"). If found guilty, he may face up to 20 years in prison. However, Gershkovich pleaded not guilty.

Paul Whelan, who holds US, British, Canadian and Irish passports, was detained by the FSB at a Moscow hotel on December 28, 2018, while on a spy mission. A criminal case was opened against him under Article 276 of the Russian Criminal Code. The Moscow City Court eventually sentenced Whelan to 16 years in a high-security penal colony.