NEW YORK, March 30. /TASS/. The Wall Street Journal has refuted accusations against its reporter Evan Gershkovich who was detained in Yekaterinburg on suspicion of espionage and demands his immediate release.

"The Wall Street Journal vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich," a statement published on Thursday on the newspaper’s website reads

The media outlet noted that the journalist worked at its Moscow bureau covering events in Russia.

Earlier, the FSB’s Public Relations Center told TASS that the agency detained Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, in Yekaterinburg on suspicion of espionage. The FSB’s Investigative Directorate opened a criminal case against the US citizen under Article 276 of the Russian Criminal Code (Espionage).