Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was sentenced to 16 years in a Russian penal colony for espionage on Friday after three weeks of secret hearings condemned by Washington as a sham. Gershkovich, who pleaded not guilty, was detained in Yekaterinburg in March 2023, becoming the first journalist charged with spying in Russia since the Cold War.
The U.S. government and the Wall Street Journal have denounced the charges as false, claiming Gershkovich is being used as a "bargaining chip" to secure the release of Russians convicted abroad. The Kremlin, which provided no public evidence for the accusations, has a policy of not exchanging prisoners until they are convicted, potentially setting the stage for a future swap.
The trial, which moved swiftly compared to similar cases, concluded with the prosecution and defense presenting their final arguments on Friday. The Kremlin has expressed no speculation about a prisoner swap, though talks between U.S. and Russian special services regarding potential exchanges are ongoing.
Gershkovich, the son of Soviet emigrants, has reported from Russia since 2017. The Wall Street Journal and the United Nations have called his detention "arbitrary," with the U.N. urging his immediate release. The U.S. government has warned citizens in Russia to leave due to the risk of wrongful arrest.
