Politics Russia sentences US reporter to 16 years in prison

The Russian judiciary has sentenced US reporter Evan Gershkovich to 16 years in prison in a controversial trial for alleged espionage. This was reported by Russian news agencies from the court in the city of Yekaterinburg in the Urals.

On the third day of the in camera trial, the court deemed the espionage to be proven. Gershkovich, who worked as a correspondent for the "Wall Street Journal" in Russia, the US newspaper itself and the US government have always rejected the accusations as unfounded. Gershkovich also maintained this in court. "The defendant has not admitted guilt," said a court spokeswoman.

Washington is demanding his release. The 32-year-old US reporter was arrested in March 2023. The Russian domestic intelligence service FSB made the espionage allegations against him. According to the indictment, he allegedly collected conspiratorial information about the Uralvagonzavod arms factory on behalf of the US intelligence agency CIA. The defense said that Gershkovich had conducted research in the region as a journalist. In its plea, the public prosecutor's office demanded 18 years in prison.

Negotiations going on behind the scenes

According to official Russian sources, negotiations with the USA on an exchange of Gershkovich for a Russian prisoner are taking place behind the scenes. Russian observers interpret the swift sentencing as a possible indication that an agreement could soon be reached. As a rule, according to Russian judicial practice, a sentence must be passed before an exchange can take place.

In this way, the apparatus of power repeatedly releases Russians imprisoned in the USA. The Kremlin also has an interest in releasing a Russian in Germany who was convicted after the murder in Berlin's Tiergarten park in 2021. According to the German verdict, the murderer shot a Georgian citizen on behalf of Moscow state authorities in revenge for allegedly killing Russian soldiers during the Chechen war.

Gershkovich has spent most of his pre-trial detention, which has lasted for more than a year, in a Moscow prison. He has repeatedly appealed against the extension of his detention without success.

The trial against him began on June 26. After the second day of the trial, the court ended what the judiciary called the hearing of evidence on Thursday. The media reported that a local MP from Yekaterinburg, who had met with Gershkovich, had testified in court. The politician had previously reported that the US citizen was interested in military issues.

Warning to Western reporters

Like many Western journalists, Gershkovich had worked and researched in Russia with accreditation from the Moscow Foreign Ministry. Afterwards, there were also official warnings to Western reporters not to travel to Ekaterinburg, 1,800 kilometers east of Moscow, which is known for its arms industry, in times of war.

The situation in the country is particularly tense due to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Representatives of Western media who come from officially designated unfriendly states quickly run the risk of being denounced as spies.

SDA