A court in Russia on Friday sentenced Evan Gershkovich, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, to 16 years in a high-security penal colony, ending his espionage trial on what were widely viewed outside Russia as fabricated charges. The verdict opens the way for a potential prisoner swap between the United States and Russia.
The harsh sentence represented the first espionage conviction of a Western reporter in modern Russia. But the expedited nature of the case suggested that Moscow might be ready to trade Gershkovich. The proceedings were recently moved up by more than three weeks, and the court concluded the case, a process that usually takes months, in a matter of weeks, with only three hearings.
The court said in a statement that Gershkovich did not admit guilt, but said “the totality of the evidence presented to the court was sufficient to render a guilty verdict.” Judge Andrei N. Mineev, who presided over the case, sentenced Gershkovich to two years less than prosecutors were asking.
At no time during the case, however, did prosecutors publicly provide any evidence to back up the charge, and the trial was held behind closed doors. The Russian judicial system for years has served as a tool of President Vladimir Putin’s domestic repression.
Dow Jones, the parent company of the Journal, called the conviction “disgraceful” and a “sham.” The company added in a statement that, “We will continue to do everything possible to press for Evan’s release and to support his family.”
In a statement, President Joe Biden said Gershkovich was wrongfully convicted and had committed no crime. “We are pushing hard for Evan’s release and will continue to do so,” he said.
Gershkovich’s defense can appeal the verdict. If they don’t, or if the appeal is overruled, he will be transferred to the sprawling Russian prisons system. According to the court, he will serve his sentence in a high-security penal colony reserved for repeat offenders and felons who committed grave crimes.
On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the two countries were holding talks on a possible swap involving Gershkovich, who was arrested almost 16 months ago.
Russian prosecutors said in their indictment that Gershkovich used “painstaking conspiratorial methods” to obtain “secret information” about a major Russian weapons factory about 75 miles north of Yekaterinburg.
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