WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich was sentenced to 16 years of spying by a Russian judge in case branded by the US as fraud
Evan Gershkovich, the first American journalist to be detained on charges of espionage in Russia in the years following the end of the Cold War, has been found guilty of spying, and sent to prison for 16 years’ prison by the Russian court in a case the US government along with his newspaper and other supporters have dismissed as a scam.
By Sophie Tanno
Jul 20, 2024 12:12 AM
CNN —
Evan Gershkovich is one of the very first American journalist to be detained for espionage in Russia in the years following the end of the Cold War, has been found guilty of spying, and was sentenced to 16 years of prison by an Russian court in a matter that the US government as well as his newspaper and supporters have dismissed as a fraud.
In Yekaterinburg has announced its guilty verdict as well as sentencing was announced on Friday just at 3.30 p.m. the local time (8 a.m. ET).
In the court, closing arguments were heard. 32-year-old Gershkovich was reporter for the Wall Street Journal reporter, delivered his closing remarks in a closed-door session early on Friday morning.
The swift conclusion of the case is just a few two weeks from when Gershkovich first showed up in a cage with his hair recently cut off at the beginning of his trial on the 26th of June. That day, Gershkovich stood cross-armed, often smiling and waving at reporters.
The speed at which the trial is proceeding has prompted questions about whether the Kremlin plans to make use of him in an agreement to swap prisoners that would involve America. United States, suggestions which spokesperson Dmitry Peskov left without comment when asked about them in the conference call on Friday before the verdict announcement.
Then, in June Moscow was able to confirm that discussions are underway regarding a possible prisoner swap agreement for Gershkovich however, Peskov repeatedly stated that the discussions were executed within “absolute silence” to prevent problems.
Gershkovich was arrested while he was working for the WSJ during a visit to Yekaterinburg in the month of March 2023 and was later charged with being a spy to the CIA. Russian authorities have not provided any evidence that could support their assertions.
Within two weeks of his detention in March 2023, US State Department designated him as unlawfully detained and called for his immediate release.
In a statement after the sentencing on Friday, Gershkovich’s company stated: “This disgraceful, sham sentence is the result of Evan was sentenced to four78 days in prison and was wrongfully incarcerated, deprived of his freedom, of his loved ones and family, and prevented from reporting, all in the name of performing his duties as an journalist.
“We will continue to do everything possible to press for Evan’s release and to support his family,” the statement of Dow Jones CEO, Wall Street Journal Publisher Almar Latour and Wall Street Journal Editor in Chief Emma Tucker continued.
“Journalism does not constitute a criminal offense and we’ll not stop until he is released. It’s time to end this,” it added.
In the United Nations Security Council on Friday, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield Ambassador brought up Gershkovich’s situation. “Let me start with the news that came out of Russia in the early hours of this morning. Evan Gershkovich was sentenced to 16 years of imprisonment. He was not guilty of any crime. He is punished because he’s journalist, and has the status of an American. It’s as simple as that,” she said.
The advocacy group for journalists known as the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has joined in the chorus of scathing criticism and criticized Russia’s current position as the fourth-worst prisoner in the world for journalists, and with at least 22 journalists currently in jail.
“Journalists are not playing a role in geopolitical game. It’s time to end hostage diplomacy and release him as soon as possible,” CPJ Director Carlos Martinez de la Serna declared in an announcement.
15 days to file an appeal
The verdict has yet take effect and the defense may appeal within 15 days the Judge Andrey Mineyev said while delivering his verdict. The judge also directed Gershkovich to pay for the procedural cost in the amount of 6708 rubles ($77) in addition to certain personal belongings such as the iPhone as well as a notebook to be destroyed.
As per the ruling, the amount of time Gershkovich has been in prison since the beginning of month will be counted towards the sentence he is serving.
After his arrest Gershkovich was detained at the well-known Lefortovo prison, where he spent nearly every day in a tiny cell before being moved to a city called Yekaterinburg within the Urals about 1,100 miles to the east of the capital. He spent his time writing letters to his loved ones and family members, his parents revealed in an interview with WSJ in which they said the prisoner was only allowed one hour of exercise each day.
Gershkovich as well as Gershkovich, the US government as well as Gershkovich, the US government, and WSJ have strongly denied the allegations against Gershkovich. The US government, the WSJ and the government have all denied.
US along with Western officials have been accused by Western and US officials of Russia of making use of Gershkovich and other foreign prisoners to negotiate prisoner exchanges.
Whelan said to CNN this week that he has “sympathy and empathy” for Gershkovich However, he expressed his hope that the most recent developments could allow to a deal that would secure both their releases.
Whelan who spoke to CNN from his prison cell in Mordovia Friday, told CNN it was possible to watch a newscast about the sentence.
“The all I was able to think of was was in court hearing the judge read out the false story of my conviction, and hearing that I’d be sentenced to for 16 years behind bars. There’s a humbling feeling of knowing that you’re 100% innocent and that this stage show that was taking place in front of you,” Whelan said.
Russian Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia Vladimir Putin has previously suggested “an agreement can be reached” with the United States to release Gershkovich and referred to the incident of the case of a Russian citizen who was found guilty of committing an assassination in Berlin in 2019during an interview with the right-wing US media anchor Tucker Carlson in February.
In the trial of Gershkovich the American-born son of Soviet emigrants to the US has revealed the extent to which Russia’s complete assault on Ukraine has damaged the relations with Moscow as well as Washington.
In their indictment Russian prosecution lawyers claimed the defendant was “under instructions from the CIA” and “using painstaking conspiratorial methods,” Gershkovich “was collecting secret information” regarding the operation of a Russian tanks factory.
This article has been revised.