Trial of "wrongfully detained" WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich begins in Russia
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Evan Gershkovich at Yekaterinburg's Sverdlovsk Regional Court on June 26. Photo: Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP via Getty Images
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich's closed-door trial on espionage charges began on Wednesday in Russia.
Why it matters: Gershkovich, 32, is the first American journalist to stand trial in Russia on spying charges since the Cold War. Russian authorities have failed to publicly produce any evidence against him.
- Wall Street Journal editor-in-chief Emma Tucker wrote in a letter to readers Tuesday that Gershkovich's case represents a "travesty of justice."
- "This bogus accusation of espionage will inevitably lead to a bogus conviction for an innocent man who would then face up to 20 years in prison for simply doing his job," she added.
- It's very rare for an espionage case in Russia to result in an acquittal, per the Journal.
Catch up quick: Despite being accredited as a foreign correspondent by Russian authorities, Gershkovich was arrested by Russia's Federal Security Service in March 2023 while on a reporting assignment in Yekaterinburg.
- He faces 20 years in prison if convicted of the charges that he, the Journal and the Biden administration have denied.
- The U.S. State Department has officially declared him "wrongfully detained."
- Gershkovich has been detained for roughly 15 months, primarily at Moscow's infamous Lefortovo prison.
Driving the news: Wednesday's hearing lasted more than two hours. Prosecutor Mikael Ozdoev alleged that Gershkovich "performed illegal actions in secret," the Wall Street Journal reported.
- Officials from the U.S. Embassy in Russia were present at the courthouse and given brief access before the proceedings began, the embassy said in a statement.
- The next hearing date has been scheduled for Aug. 13, Russian state news agency TASS reported.
What they're saying: "Given the spurious and unsubstantiated charges brought against him, this trial is nothing more than a masquerade," Gulnoza Said of the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday.
- Said called on Russian authorities to release Gershkovich and drop all charges against him.
The big picture: The Kremlin could use the trial to ratchet up pressure on the U.S. in ongoing prisoner swap talks for Gershkovich.
- "His case is not about evidence, procedural norms, or the rule of law. It is about the Kremlin using American citizens to achieve its political objectives," the U.S. Embassy in Russia said in its statement.
- Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the trial proceedings or possible talks for a prisoner exchange on Wednesday, telling reporters that it is necessary to wait for a verdict in the case, TASS reported.
Go deeper: Evan Gershkovich timeline: "Wrongfully detained" by Russia for one year
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional details.
- This article has been corrected to reflect that U.S. Embassy officials were at the courthouse (but not in the closed hearing).
