The US ambassador to Russia was authorized on Monday to visit the American journalist Evan Hershkovich, who was arrested at the end of March, in prison, who, according to her, is “healthy”, AFP notes.

Lynn Tracy was sent to Moscow’s Lefortovo prison, the US State Department reported. It was their second meeting after the arrest of the journalist while reporting in Yekaterinburg (Urals) on March 29.

The Russian authorities have repeatedly refused a consular visit to Evan Hershkovich, who is accused of “espionage”, which he denies.

“Ambassador Tracy reported that Hershkovich is healthy and remains strong despite the circumstances,” a State Department spokesman said.

Evan Hershkovich, who also worked for AFP, is the first foreign journalist to be arrested in Russia for espionage since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

His arrest is part of the context of serious diplomatic tensions between the United States and Russia, caused by the conflict in Ukraine, in which Washington supports Kyiv militarily and financially over Moscow.

The United States and Evan Hershkovich’s employer, the Wall Street Journal, like him, reject accusations of “espionage” by the Russian authorities.

Moscow is accused of arresting him because of his journalistic work.

The State Department said it would continue to press for Evan Hershkovich’s release, while seeking regular access to the consulate in the meantime.

Russia said it denied such access in response to the U.S. refusal to grant visas to Russian journalists in April.

Last week, the head of US diplomacy, Anthony Blinken, expressed concern about the lack of access to Evan Hershkovic and assured that the United States was pressing “virtually every day” to rectify the situation.

“At the same time, we continue to look for ways to bring him home,” as did Paul Whelan, a former Marine who has been in prison for four years, Blinken added.

Ambassador Tracy has not seen Whelan since May.

On June 22, the Moscow court rejected Evan Hershkovich’s request for dismissal. Lynn Tracy, who attended the hearing, said the United States was “very disappointed.”

Washington sharply reduced high-level contacts with Moscow after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, but made exceptions to arrange two prisoner exchanges.

In December, Russia agreed to exchange jailed American basketball star Brittney Griner for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer in US custody, following contacts between the two countries’ intelligence agencies.