Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich is scheduled to stand trial in Russia on Wednesday, June 26, on espionage charges. Gershkovich was arrested in 2023, becoming the first known Western journalist to face such charges in post-Soviet Russia.
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich is facing trial in Russia on espionage charges, with the proceedings starting on Wednesday, June 26, behind closed doors in the city of Yekaterinburg. Gershkovich, 32, was arrested in March 2023 in Yekaterinburg, with Russian authorities alleging that he was gathering secret information for the CIA, a claim that he, his employer, and the U.S. government deny.
The journalist appeared in the courtroom on Wednesday morning in a glass cage, with his head shaven, according to The Associated Press. Gershkovich's appeals for his release have thus far been rejected.
WSJ Reporter Evan Gershkovich's Espionage Trial Set to Commence in Russia
"Evan has displayed remarkable resilience and strength in the face of this grim situation," U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy said on the anniversary of Gershkovich's arrest. If convicted, which is expected, Gershkovich faces up to 20 years in prison.
The Russian Prosecutor General's office said Gershkovich is accused of gathering secret information on orders from the CIA about Uralvagonzavod, a plant that produces and repairs military equipment about 90 miles north of Yekaterinburg.
WSJ Reporter Evan Gershkovich's Espionage Trial Set to Commence in Russia
Russian courts convict more than 99% of defendants, and prosecutors can appeal sentences that they believe are light. Prosecutors can even appeal acquittals. Another American detained in Russia, American corporate security executive Paul Whelan, was arrested in Moscow for espionage in 2018 and is serving a 16-year sentence.
Gershkovich's arrest came about a year after Russian President Vladimir Putin pushed laws that drew concerns about journalism in the country, criminalizing criticism of the war against Ukraine and statements viewed by officials as discrediting the military.
WSJ Reporter Evan Gershkovich's Espionage Trial Set to Commence in Russia
Several Western reporters have been forced to leave following Gershkovich's arrest because Russia would not renew their visas.
Following Gershkovich's arrest, many feared that Russia was targeting Americans amid tensions with the U.S.
WSJ Reporter Evan Gershkovich's Espionage Trial Set to Commence in Russia
Russia has suggested a prisoner exchange for Gershkovich could potentially happen in the future, but such a swap is not possible until a verdict is reached in his case. Putin has floated the idea that he might be interested in freeing Vadim Krasikov, a Russian imprisoned in Germany for the assassination of a Chechen rebel leader.
In 2022, Russia and the U.S. worked out a swap that released WNBA star Brittney Griner, who was serving a 9 1/2-year sentence for cannabis possession in Russia, in exchange for arms dealer Viktor Bout, also known as "the Merchant of Death."
The Biden administration would likely be sensitive when negotiating a swap for Gershkovich, not wanting to appear to be giving away too much after intense criticism of trading Bout for Griner.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
