WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich sentenced to 16 years in Russian jail

Journalist was arrested in March 2023 while on a reporting trip to Yekaterinburg

Closing arguments in the case took place behind closed doors and Evan Gershkovich did not admit any guilt, according to the Russian court’s press service. Reuters

A Russian court has found an American journalist guilty of spying and sentenced him to 16 years in a maximum-security prison.

Prosecutors had requested an 18-year sentence for Evan Gershkovich, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, but the judge opted for a shorter term.

He not admit any guilt to the charges, which his employer and the US government have rejected as fabricated.

Closing arguments in the case took place behind closed doors, according to the court’s press service,

Gershkovich, 32, was arrested March 29, 2023, while on a reporting trip to the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg.

Russian authorities claimed, without offering any evidence, that he was gathering secret information for the US.

He became the first US journalist to be taken into custody on espionage charges since Nicholas Daniloff in 1986, at the height of the Cold War.

Russian courts convict more than 99 per cent of defendants, and prosecutors can appeal against sentences that they regard as too lenient. They even can appeal against acquittals.

The US State Department has declared Gershkovich “wrongfully detained”, committing the government to assertively seek his release.

“Today, Evan Gershkovich received a sentence of 16 years in a Russian prison, despite having committed no crime,” US President Joe Biden said.

“Rather, he was targeted by the Russian government because he is a journalist and an American. We are pushing hard for Evan’s release and will continue to do so.”

Speaking at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said: "When it comes to Evan, when it comes to Paul Whelan in Russia, other Americans, we’re working at it quite literally every day, looking to see what we can do to get them home.

"All I can tell you is this: We’re working. We’re working it as we speak, and we’re not going to stop

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday at the UN that Moscow and Washington’s “special services” are discussing an exchange involving Gershkovich.

Moscow has previously signalled the possibility of a swap, but said a verdict would have to come first. Even after a verdict, any such deal could take months or years.

The Wall Street Journal has been extensively reporting on Gershkovich's trial.

“This disgraceful, sham conviction comes after Evan has spent 478 days in prison, wrongfully detained, away from his family and friends, prevented from reporting, all for doing his job as a journalist,” the Journal said.

“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.”

In a post on X following the verdict, the newspaper said that it would “keep telling Evan's story until he can tell his own”.

Evan Gershkovich's family have been campaigning for his release. AFP