A court in Russia has found Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich guilty of espionage charges that he, his employer, and the U.S. government have rejected as politically motivated, and sentenced him to 16 years in prison.
After hearing closing arguments in the case on July 19, a day after both Gershkovich's employer and the U.S. State Department called for his immediate release, the court handed down its ruling behind closed doors, local media reported.
U.S. President Joe Biden said Gershkovich was sentenced despite having committed no crime. A White House statement quoted Biden as saying Gershkovich was targeted by the Russian government because he is a journalist and an American, adding that Washington was "pushing hard for Evan's release and will continue to do so."
Gershkovich's employer called it a "disgraceful, sham conviction" and vowed to continue to press for his release.
The conviction comes after Gershkovich spent 478 days in detention away from his family and friends and prevented from reporting, "all for doing his job as a journalist," Dow Jones CEO and Wall Street Journal Publisher Almar Latour and Editor in Chief Emma Tucker said in a statement.
A UN spokesman said the sentencing raises "serious concerns." Farhan Haq told reporters that journalists "should be able to perform their essential professional functions and work in a safe environment without fear of reprisals."
The European Union also slammed the lenghy prison sentence, describing it as a political gambit to "punish journalism."
European Parliament chief Roberta Metsola said Gershkovich had been the victim of a "sham trial."
"The 16-year prison sentence against WSJ journalist Evan Gershkovich is the antithesis of justice," he said.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Russia uses its politicized legal system to punish journalism, condemned the sentence, and called for his release.
In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to answer a journalist's question about the reasons for the expedited process of the court's decision, saying that he cannot comment on such a situation. He added that Gershkovich's trial is being held behind closed doors because of the "sensitivity of the case."
Some analysts said the move to expedite the case could be a sign that talks are heating up between Moscow and Washington on a possible prisoner exchange.
When asked in Moscow on July 19 about the talks on a possible prisoner swap involving Gershkovich, Peskov refused to comment.
The trial, which started on June 26, was held behind closed doors in the Sverdlovsk regional court in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg after being moved forward from August 13 at the request of the defense team.
Gershkovich, 32, was arrested in Yekaterinburg on March 29, 2023, while he was on a reporting trip and was subsequently charged with attempting to obtain information about a factory that manufactures tanks for Russia's war in Ukraine and pass it on to the CIA. He is the first U.S. journalist arrested on spying charges in Russia since the Cold War.
U.S. State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel on July 18 did not comment on possible negotiations on a prisoner exchange, but said Washington was seeking the release of Gershkovich and another imprisoned U.S. citizen, former Marine Paul Whelan, as soon as possible.
"The timeline of the trial and what route that takes does not have a bearing and has no impact on the urgency that the United States has.... We want both of them home immediately and we'll continue to work in this area until they're reunited with their loved ones," Patel said.
He said no U.S. Embassy representative was able to attend the July 18 session due to short notice.
Russia has complained about U.S. media reports on a possible swap involving Gershkovich. Speaking on July 17 at the United Nations in New York, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov again raised this reporting, blaming "the Americans" for publicly bringing up a possible exchange, which he said "isn't helping."
SEE ALSO: Who Are The Americans Behind Bars In Russia?Lavrov told a news conference that confidential negotiations were still "ongoing." Russia has previously signaled the possibility of a swap, but it says a verdict would have to come first.
Gershkovich and Whelan, who is serving a 16-year sentence also on espionage charges, have been designated by the U.S. government as "wrongfully detained."
Such a designation ensures that the case is assigned to the office of the special envoy for hostage affairs in the U.S. State Department, raising the political profile of their situation and allowing the U.S. administration to allocate more resources to securing the prisoner's release.
Gershkovich is one of two American reporters currently being held by Russian authorities. The other is Alsu Kurmasheva, a veteran RFE/RL journalist who holds dual U.S.-Russian citizenship.
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Russian Court Again Extends Detention Of RFE/RL Journalist Alsu Kurmasheva
Kurmasheva, 47, was arrested in Kazan in October and charged with failing to register as a "foreign agent" under a punitive Russian law that targets journalists, civil society activists, and others. She’s also been charged with spreading falsehoods about the Russian military and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
RFE/RL and the U.S. government say the charges are reprisals for her work as a journalist for the broadcaster in Prague.
Unlike Gershkovich and Whelan, Kurmasheva has not been designated as " wrongfully detained," despite repeated calls by her employer and family for this to happen.
Another U.S.-Russian citizen, Ksenia Karelina, went on trial in Yekaterinburg in June on a treason charge.
Karelina, 33, was arrested in February during a visit to her native Yekaterinburg after security officers accused her of raising funds for Razom for Ukraine, a foundation that helps Ukrainian civilians affected by the war.