A Russian court sentenced Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich to 16 years in prison on espionage charges on July 19, 2024. The trial, which took place behind closed doors in Yekaterinburg, Russia, was denounced by the US government and the journalist's employer as a sham.
Gershkovich is the first known Western journalist to be arrested on espionage charges in post-Soviet Russia. He was detained in March 2023 and has been held in Moscow's Lefortovo prison since then.
Prosecutors claimed that Gershkovich gathered secret information on orders from the CIA about Uralvagonzavod, a plant in Yekaterinburg that produces and repairs tanks and other military equipment. However, no evidence has been presented to back up these allegations.
The US government classifies Gershkovich as wrongfully detained and is seeking his immediate release through diplomatic channels. The Wall Street Journal also denies the charges against him.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously alluded to a potential prisoner exchange involving Gershkovich and Vadim Krasikov, a Russian national jailed in 2019 for killing a Georgian citizen living in Berlin who had fought against Russian forces in Chechnya. However, no such deal has been confirmed.
Gershkovich's trial comes amid strained relations between Russia and the US over Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The rapid conclusion of the trial has prompted speculation that Russia may be hurrying to convict Gershkovich for a potential prisoner exchange. However, this has not been confirmed by either party involved.
Gershkovich is the first American journalist to stand trial in Russia on spying charges since the Cold War. He has spent most of his time in detention in a small cell at Moscow's Lefortovo prison.
