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American journalist Evan Gershkovich has been sentenced to 16 years in a high-security penal colony by a Russian court on charges of espionage, following a trial condemned as a "sham" by his employer, his family, and the White House, reports the BBC.
Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reporter, was detained last March while on a reporting trip in Yekaterinburg, approximately 1,600km (1,000 miles) east of Moscow. Security services accused him of spying for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), allegations that Gershkovich, the WSJ, and the US government strongly deny.
This marks the first conviction of an American journalist for espionage in Russia since the Cold War ended over 30 years ago. According to the judge, both sides have 15 days to appeal the verdict.
"This disgraceful, sham conviction follows Evan’s 478 days of wrongful imprisonment, kept away from his family and friends, and barred from reporting, simply for doing his job as a journalist," WSJ publisher Almar Latour and Editor-in-Chief Emma Tucker stated. "We will continue to do everything in our power to secure Evan’s release and support his family. Journalism is not a crime, and we will not stop until he is freed. This must end now."
Washington claims that Russia is holding Gershkovich as a bargaining chip for a potential prisoner exchange involving Russian nationals in foreign jails. Moscow is aware that the US is open to negotiating swaps to free its citizens, and the two countries have been discussing such an exchange.
Russian analysts suggest that the swift conviction might indicate an imminent exchange. Russian legal practice usually requires a verdict before an exchange can proceed. In February, Russian President Vladimir Putin hinted at a possible swap in an interview with US journalist Tucker Carlson, likely referring to Vadim Krasikov, a Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) operative serving a life sentence in Germany for the assassination of a former Chechen rebel commander in Berlin.
Gershkovich’s trial began last month, with the final two days of proceedings initially scheduled for August. Prosecutors had sought an 18-year prison term. However, the hearing was unexpectedly moved up to Thursday, with the judge delivering the verdict late on Friday afternoon.
Prosecutors claimed in the indictment that Gershkovich, 32, was acting "on orders from the CIA" to gather "classified information" about a tank production facility in the Sverdlovsk region. Gershkovich has consistently denied these allegations, and the WSJ described the trial as a "shameful mockery" and his imprisonment as an "outrage."
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