The trial of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on Russian espionage charges begins behind closed doors in the city of Yekaterinburg on Wednesday.
Gershkovich, 32, was arrested in Yekaterinburg in March 2023 on suspicion of espionage. Russian authorities allege he was collecting secret information for the CIA, a claim he, his employers and the U.S. government deny.
“Evan Gershkovich faces false and unfounded charges. The Russian regime’s smear of Evan is abhorrent, repulsive and based on calculated and obvious lies. Journalism is not a crime,” Wall Street Journal publisher Almar Latour and editor-in-chief Emma Tucker said after the trial date was announced. “We had hoped to avoid this moment, but now we hope the U.S. government will redouble its efforts to secure Evan’s release.”
He is known as the first Western journalist to be arrested on espionage charges in post-Soviet Russia.
WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich’s espionage trial set to begin June 26
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich stands inside a glass cage in a courtroom in Yekaterinburg, Russia, Wednesday, June 26, 2024. (Associated Press)
The reporter appeared in court Wednesday morning in a glass cage with his head shaved. Associated Press.
Appeals for Gershkovich’s release have so far been rejected.
“Evan has shown incredible resilience and strength in the face of these trying circumstances,” U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynn Tracy said on the anniversary of Gershkovich’s arrest.
If convicted, as he likely will be, Gershkovich faces up to 20 years in prison. Russian courts convict more than 99 percent of defendants, and prosecutors can appeal sentences they consider too lenient. Prosecutors can also appeal acquittals.
The Russian prosecutor’s office said Gershkovich was accused of collecting secret information on the orders of the CIA about Uralvagonzavod, a factory that produces and repairs military equipment, about 90 miles north of Yekaterinburg.
If convicted, Gershkovich faces up to 20 years in prison. (Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP via Getty Images)
Another American detained in Russia, US corporate security executive Paul Whelan, was arrested in Moscow in 2018 on espionage charges and is serving a 16-year sentence.
Gershkovich’s arrest comes nearly a year after Russian President Vladimir Putin imposed worrying laws on journalism in the country that criminalize criticism of the war with Ukraine or comments that authorities deem discrediting the military.
Many foreign journalists left the country after the law was passed, and while many gradually returned in the months that followed, concerns remained that Russian authorities would take action against them.
Following Gershkovich’s arrest, several Western journalists were forced to leave the country after Russia did not renew their visas.
WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich ordered to stand trial in Russia for ‘gathering secret information’
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich is led away from the Lefortovsky Court in Moscow, Russia, Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlyanichenko)
Click here to get the FOX News app
Following Gershkovich’s arrest, many feared that Russia was targeting Americans amid rising tensions with the United States.
Russia has signaled a future prisoner swap for Gershkovich is possible, but such an exchange would be impossible until a verdict is reached in his case. Putin has hinted that he might be interested in releasing Vadim Krasikov, a Russian citizen imprisoned in Germany for the assassination of a Chechen rebel leader.
In 2022, Russia and the United States struck a swap deal to release WNBA star Brittney Griner, who was serving a 9.5-year sentence in Russia for marijuana possession, and acquire arms dealer Viktor Bout, also known as the “Merchant of Death.”
The Biden administration is likely to be sensitive about negotiating a trade with Gershkovich, as it doesn’t want to be seen to give too much away after its heavily criticized trade for Bout for Griner.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
