Wall Street Journal reporter That of Evan Gershkovitch The trial in Russia for espionage will begin on June 26, the court which will hear the case announced Monday.
Gershkovich, a 32-year-old US citizen, has been held behind bars since his arrest in March 2023 for collecting secret information about the Russian military complex on behalf of the CIA – allegations by him, the US government and Wall Street. The Journal denied it.
“Evan did nothing wrong,” U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said last week. “He should never have been arrested. Journalism is not a crime. The charges against him are false. And the Russian government knows they are false. He should be released immediately.”
If convicted, Gershkovich could face 20 years in prison.
WSJ REPORTER EVAN GERSHKOVICH ORDERED TO BE TRIED IN RUSSIA FOR “COLLECTION OF SECRET INFORMATION”
The trial of Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich on charges of espionage in Russia will begin on June 26 at the Sverdlovsky Regional Court in Yekaterinburg, where he was arrested in March 2023. (Natalia KOLESNIKOVA / AFP)
The trial is expected to be held at the Sverdlovsky regional court in Yekaterinburg, where Gershkovich was arrested. He has since been detained in Lefortovo prison in Moscow.
The court said the trial would be held behind closed doors, which is typical in espionage cases.
The Biden administration tried to negotiate Gershkovich’s release, but the Russian Foreign Ministry said Moscow would not consider a possible prisoner exchange until a verdict was reached.
EVAN GERSHKOVICH, WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORTER, AT 32 WHILE WRONGLY DETAINED BY RUSSIA
Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal and the U.S. government have repeatedly denied the allegations made against him by Russia. (NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP via Getty Images)
Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested he would consider a prisoner swap to exchange Gershkovich for a Russian national imprisoned in Germany, which appears to be a reference to Vadim Krasikov, according to the Associated Press.
Krasikov is serving a life sentence for the 2019 murder in Berlin of a Georgian citizen of Chechen origin.
Gershkovich’s trial at the Sverdlovsky regional court in Yekaterinburg will take place behind closed doors, which is the norm in espionage cases. (Natalia KOLESNIKOVA / AFP)
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Putin said The AP that the U.S. government is taking “strong steps” to free Gershkovich.
The Russian leader also told international news agencies at an economic forum in St. Petersburg earlier this month that the releases “are not decided through the media” but rather through a “discreet, calm and professional approach.”
“And they should certainly only be decided on the basis of reciprocity,” he said, referring to a possible prisoner exchange.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
