Russian authorities convicted Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on sham espionage charges on Friday and sentenced him to 16 years in prison after a short trial.
Gershkovich, 32, was arrested and detained in Russia last year on espionage charges the Journal and the U.S. government strongly deny, and Russian authorities have not released any public evidence to back up the charges. The verdict against him came after three days of secretive hearings in what was largely a forgone conclusion before the proceedings began.
“This disgraceful, sham conviction comes after Evan has spent 478 days in prison, wrongfully detained, away from his family and friends, prevented from reporting, all for doing his job as a journalist,” Wall Street Journal publisher Almar Latour and editor-in-chief Emma Tucker said in a joint statement.
“We will continue to do everything possible to press for Evan’s release and to support his family. Journalism is not a crime, and we will not rest until he’s released. This must end now.”
Gershkovich was arrested in March 2023 during a reporting trip in Yekaterinburg, making him the first U.S. journalist arrested in Russia on espionage charges since the Cold War. He spent the last year detained in Russia’s notoriously brutal Lefortovo prison, and was moved to a facility in Yekaterinburg for the trial.
Gershkovich did not admit guilt but the court said in a statement that “the totality of the evidence presented to the court was sufficient to render a guilty verdict.”
Russian strongman Vladimir Putin signaled an interest in swapping Gershkovich during an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, and earlier this week, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said negotiations were “ongoing.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov declined to comment on a potential prisoner swap with the U.S. on Friday, according to Russian state media.
State Department spokesman Vedant Patel declined to comment on negotiations Thursday but reiterated the U.S. government’s belief that Gershkovich is being wrongfully detained.
“We have been clear from the get-go that Evan did nothing wrong and should not have been detained. To date, Russia has provided no evidence of a crime and has failed to justify Evan’s continued detention,” Patel said.
Russian authorities continue to hold in detention U.S. marine veteran Paul Whelan, who the U.S. government also believes to be wrongfully detained.
“Today, Evan Gershkovich received a sentence of 16 years in a Russian prison, despite having committed no crime. Rather, he was targeted by the Russian government because he is a journalist and an American. We are pushing hard for Evan’s release and will continue to do so,” President Joe Biden said in a statement.
“Additionally, since the very first day of my Administration, I have had no higher priority than seeking the release and safe return of Evan, Paul Whelan and all Americans wrongfully detained and held hostage abroad.”