WSJ Reporter Evan Gershkovich Convicted in Russia on Espionage Charges, US Denounces Trial as Sham

Evan Gershkovich, the first American journalist arrested on espionage charges in Russia since the Cold War, has been found guilty of spying and sentenced to 16 years in prison by a Russian court. This verdict has been condemned by the US government, his newspaper, and his supporters as baseless.

The verdict and sentencing were announced by the court in Yekaterinburg on Friday at around 3 p.m. local time (8 a.m. ET). Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, delivered his closing remarks in a private session earlier that day, following the court’s closing arguments.

The rapid conclusion of Gershkovich’s trial, which began on June 26 with his appearance in a glass cage and a recently shaved head, has led to speculation that the Kremlin might use him in a prisoner swap with the United States.

In March, Moscow hinted at ongoing discussions about a potential prisoner exchange for Gershkovich, though Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov emphasized that such negotiations should remain confidential to avoid complications.

Gershkovich was detained in March 2023 while on a reporting trip in Yekaterinburg and later accused of spying for the CIA, a charge for which Russian authorities have not presented any public evidence. Shortly after his arrest, the US State Department declared him wrongfully detained and called for his immediate release.

Following the sentencing, the Wall Street Journal issued a statement condemning the conviction as a sham. The statement, from Dow Jones CEO and Wall Street Journal Publisher Almar Latour and Editor in Chief Emma Tucker, highlighted that Gershkovich has been wrongfully detained for 478 days and emphasized their commitment to securing his release.

“Journalism is not a crime, and we will not rest until he’s released. This must end now,” the statement added.

After his arrest, Gershkovich was held in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison, spending most of his time in a small cell and allowed only one hour of walking per day. He kept himself occupied by writing letters to friends and family, according to his parents in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.

Gershkovich, along with the US government and the Wall Street Journal, has consistently denied the espionage charges against him. US and Western officials have accused Russia of using Gershkovich and other detained foreigners as leverage for prisoner exchanges.

A notable swap in 2022 involved US basketball star Brittney Griner being exchanged for arms dealer Viktor Bout, although Russia declined to release another US citizen, Paul Whelan, as it sought the return of a former colonel from Russia’s domestic spy agency in exchange.

In a February interview with US media personality Tucker Carlson, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested the possibility of negotiating Gershkovich’s release, referencing a Russian national convicted of an assassination in Berlin in 2019.

Gershkovich’s trial has underscored the deterioration in US-Russia relations since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russian prosecutors accused him of collecting secret information about a Russian tank factory under CIA instructions, using “painstaking conspiratorial methods.”