Moscow: In a major development, a Russian court on Friday convicted Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on espionage charges in a trial rejected by the United States as a 'sham' and 'politically motivated'. Gershkovich, 32, was sentenced to 16 years in prison after a secretive and rapid trial, while he denied any allegations of wrongdoing.
Russian prosecutors have accused Gershkovich of collecting classified information on the orders of the US Central Intelligence Agency about a company that manufactures tanks for Russia's war in Ukraine. He became the first US journalist arrested in Russia in 2023 on espionage charges since the Cold War.
The speed at which the reporter's trial was held behind closed doors also led to intense speculation, as espionage cases usually take months to handle. Friday's hearing was only the third in the trial against Gershkovich. The verdict suggests that a long-discussed U.S.-Russia prisoner exchange deal involving him and other Americans detained in Russia might be off the tables.
A "disgraceful, sham conviction"
Gershkovich was arrested on March 29, 2023, while on a reporting trip to the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg. His arrest shocked foreign journalists in Russia, even though the country has enacted increasingly repressive laws on freedom of speech after sending troops into Ukraine. The Wall Street reporter said all allegations against him are false.
Russian courts convict more than 99 per cent of defendants, and prosecutors can appeal sentences that they regard as too lenient. They even can appeal acquittals. The Wall Street Journal called it a "disgraceful, sham conviction" after Gershkovich spent 478 days in wrongful detainment behind bars.
"We will continue to do everything possible to press for Evan’s release and to support his family. Journalism is not a crime, and we will not rest until he’s released. This must end now," said Almar Latour, the chief executive of Dow Jones and publisher of The Wall Street Journal, and Wall Street Journal Editor in Chief Emma Tucker. A court spokeswoman said that Gershkovich “did not admit guilt” during Friday’s hearing, according to the US daily.
In June, Russian prosecutors approved an indictment of Gershkovich, falsely alleging that he was gathering information about a Russian defence contractor on behalf of the Central Intelligence Agency. The Wall Street Journal said he was in Yekaterinburg for the sole purpose of reporting for the US-based newspaper. The US designated Gershkovich as wrongfully detained, committing the government to work toward his freedom and asserting that Russia provided no evidence of Gershkovich's wrongdoing.
US-Russia prisoner exchange
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday reaffirmed the Kremlin claim that the government has “irrefutable evidence” against Gershkovich, but that proof is yet to be disclosed. Arrests of Americans are increasingly common in Russia, with nine US citizens known to be detained there as tensions between the two countries have escalated over fighting in Ukraine.
The conviction was a surprising development when Russian officials, from President Vladimir Putin on down, signalled an interest in swapping Gershkovich for Russians held in the West. Lavrov on Wednesday said at the United Nations that Moscow and Washington’s “special services” are discussing an exchange involving Gershkovich.
Putin hinted earlier this year that he would be open to swapping Gershkovich for Vadim Krasikov, a Russian serving a life sentence for the 2019 killing in Berlin of a Georgian citizen of Chechen descent. Since Russian troops entered Ukraine in 2022, Moscow and Washington have conducted just one high profile prisoner swap: Russia released basketball star Brittney Griner, held for smuggling cannabis, in return for arms dealer Viktor Bout, jailed for terrorism-related offences in the United States.
(with inputs from agencies)
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