Imprisoned Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has appealed his pre-trial detention to a Russian court on Saturday.

The journalist has been imprisoned inside Russia since March on charges of so-called espionage. A court ruled that his detention should be extended until November. He was detained in Yekaterinburg in central Russia eight months ago while on a work assignment.

Gershkovich is the first American journalist to be jailed inside Russia on espionage charges since the days of the Soviet Union. Relations between Russia and the United States have deteriorated due Vladimir Putin‘s invasion of Ukraine over a year ago.

Prosecutors have not announced when a trial will be held for Gershkovich. Currently, the 37-year-old is imprisoned inside the Lefortovo prison in Moscow. The appeal will be brought to the Moscow City Court.

The Wall Street Journal, Gershkovich, and the U.S. government all deny the espionage allegations brought forward by the Russian Federal Security Service.

“We are deeply disappointed he continues to be arbitrarily and wrongfully detained for doing his job as a journalist,” Wall Street Journal said in a statement. “The baseless accusations against him are categorically false, and we continue to push for his immediate release. Journalism is not a crime.”

Moreover, Editor in Chief Emma Tucker and Newspaper Publisher Almar Latour said in a statement his arrest was ““also a reminder of the fight we’re in as Evan has now been wrongfully detained for five months—a horrific and sobering milestone in our efforts to free him.”

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