YEKATERINBURG, Russia (AP) — Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich He was convicted of espionage on Friday and sentenced to 16 years in prison, charges his employer and the United States deny as trumped up.
The conclusion of his swift and secretive trial in the country’s highly politicized justice system likely paved the way for a prisoner exchange between Moscow and Washington.
When the judge at the Sverdlovsk Regional Court asked Gershkovich if he understood the sentence, he replied: “Yes, I understand.”
Gershkovich, 32, was detained during a reporting trip to the Ural Mountain city of Yekaterinburg in March 2023, charged with espionage for the United States and has been jailed since then.
Gershkovich is the only American journalist to be detained on espionage charges since Nicholas Danilov in 1986 at the height of the Cold War. His arrest came as a shock to foreign journalists in Russia, even as Russia has imposed increasingly repressive laws on freedom of speech since sending troops into Ukraine.
The trial took place behind closed doors and closing arguments were held in which Gershkovich did not admit to any guilt, according to the court’s press service.
Gershkovich, 32, was arrested on March 29, 2023, during a reporting trip to the Ural Mountain city of Yekaterinburg. Authorities alleged, without providing evidence, that he was gathering secret information for the United States, making him the first American journalist charged with espionage since the Cold War.
Gershkovich The defendant appeared in court for a second consecutive day on Friday for a closed-door hearing, with prosecutors seeking a sentence of 18 years in a maximum-security prison, officials said.
Unlike the trial that opened in Yekaterinburg on June 26, and an earlier hearing in Moscow where journalists were allowed to meet briefly with Gershkovich before the trial began, journalists were allowed inside the courtroom for Friday’s sentencing hearing, although access to the courtroom was banned on Thursday. Espionage and treason The incidents are typically shrouded in secrecy.
Russian courts convict more than 99 percent of defendants, and prosecutors can appeal sentences they feel are too lenient. Acquittals can also be appealed.
“Evan’s unjust detention since his wrongful arrest 477 days ago has been outrageous and must end now,” The Wall Street Journal said in a statement Thursday. “While Russia orchestrates its shameful show trial, we continue to press for Evan’s immediate release and do all we can to make clear: Evan was doing his job as a journalist. Journalism is not a crime. Bring him home now.”
The State Department declared that Gershkovich was being “unlawfully detained” and said the government would vigorously seek his release.
Asked about a possible prisoner swap involving Gershkovich, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on Friday.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at the United Nations on Wednesday that “special agencies” from Moscow and Washington were discussing a swap for Gershkovich. Russia has previously floated the possibility of a swap but has said a verdict must come first. Even after the verdict, such a deal could take months or even years.
State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel declined to discuss possible swap talks Thursday but said, “It has been clear from the start that Evan has done nothing wrong and should not have been detained. To date, Russia has not presented evidence of a crime to justify Evan’s continued detention.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested earlier this year that he was open to swapping Gershkovich for Vadim Krasikov, a Russian national serving a life sentence for the murder of a Chechen Georgian in Berlin in 2019.
Mr. Gershkovich is from Moscow. The notorious Lefortovo prison.
Russia’s prosecutor’s office said last month that the journalist was accused of “collecting secret information” on the orders of the CIA about Uralvagonzavod, a factory about 150 kilometers (90 miles) north of Yekaterinburg that makes and repairs tanks and other military equipment.
Lavrov on Wednesday reaffirmed the Kremlin’s assertion that the government has “irrefutable evidence” against Gershkovich, which neither he nor other Russian officials have disclosed.
Gershkovich’s employer and U.S. authorities have denied the accusations as false.
“Evan was never employed by the United States government. Evan is not a spy. Journalism is not a crime. And Evan should never have been detained in the first place,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said last month.
In Russia, there is a broad interpretation of what constitutes serious crimes such as espionage and treason, and authorities often go after people who share publicly available information with foreigners, accusing them of leaking state secrets.
Earlier this month, UN human rights experts in Russia Violated international law Instead of imprisoning Mr. Gershkovich, he should be released “immediately.”
The arrest of an American Increasingly common Nine Americans have been detained in Russia amid rising tensions between the two countries over the Ukraine conflict.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield accused Moscow of “treating human beings as bargaining chips.” She specifically criticized Gershkovich and the former Marines. Paul WhelanThe 53-year-old corporate security director from Michigan is serving a 16-year sentence after being convicted of espionage, charges he and the United States deny.
