American Journalist Evan Gershkovich Faces Espionage Charges in Russian Court
The American journalist Evan Gershkovich has appeared briefly in a Russian court at the start of a trial on charges of espionage that the reporter denies. Gershkovich, 32, was seen on Wednesday standing in a glass box wearing an open-necked shirt and with his arms folded. The Wall Street Journal reporter is accused by prosecutors of gathering secret information on the orders of the CIA about a company that manufactures tanks for Russia's war in Ukraine. If convicted, he faces a sentence of up to 20 years. Gershkovich, his newspaper, and the US government all reject the allegations and say that he was just doing his job as a reporter and accredited by Russia's foreign ministry to work there. He was detained while on a reporting trip to Ekaterinburg in the Urals mountains in March 2023. His arrest shocked foreign journalists in Russia even though the country had enacted increasingly repressive laws on freedom of speech after sending troops into Ukraine. The proceedings will take place behind closed doors, meaning that the media are excluded and no friends, family members, or US embassy staff are allowed in to support Gershkovich. Such arrangements are common at spying or treason trials in Russia. Against the background of the Ukraine war, Gershkovich and other Americans detained in Russia have been caught up in the gravest crisis between Moscow and Washington for more than 60 years. The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has said he is open to the idea of a prisoner exchange involving Gershkovich and that contacts with the United States have taken place but they must remain secret. The US has accused Russia of conducting hostage diplomacy. It has designated Gershkovich and another jailed American, Paul Whelan, as wrongfully detained and says it is committed to bringing them home.
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