Russia denies visit to American reporter in visa retaliation

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s Foreign Ministry has denied a U.S request for a consular visit to an American reporter for The Wall Street Journal who is jailed on espionage charges. The ministry said on Thursday that it rejected the request for the May 11 visit in retaliation for the U.S. refusing to grant visas to Russian journalists who planned to accompany Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on a trip to the United Nations. Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has been in custody since his March 29 arrest by Russia’s security service on espionage charges that he, his employer and the U.S. government have denied.