
Evan Gershkovich, an American journalist for The Wall Street Journal, was sentenced to 16 years in a maximum-security prison by a Russian court on Friday. Gershkovich, 32, was found guilty of espionage, a charge that both the U.S. government and his employer have denounced as baseless.
Gershkovich, who was arrested over a year ago in Yekaterinburg, has consistently denied the allegations. Russia has yet to provide any evidence to support the charges against him. During the trial, which concluded last month, the state prosecutor requested an 18-year sentence, but Judge Andrei Mineyev of the Sverdlovsk Regional Court handed down a 16-year sentence.
The court claimed Gershkovich was guilty of collecting classified information on a defense company’s operations, purportedly for American intelligence agencies. Despite these accusations, Gershkovich and his supporters maintain his innocence.
The Wall Street Journal’s publisher, Dow Jones, has criticized the trial as a “sham” based on fabricated charges. Jay Conti, executive vice president and general counsel of Dow Jones, described the case as “bogus” in a recent interview.
The U.S. government has also condemned the accusations and considers Gershkovich’s detention unjustified. In May, 2024 GOP nominee Donald Trump stated he could negotiate Gershkovich’s release if re-elected. Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested that a deal might be possible.
Throughout his court appearances, Gershkovich has often appeared in good spirits, but his family has expressed deep distress over his imprisonment. “It has been hard,” said his father, Mikhail Gershkovich, in March. “He spent all four seasons there. He spent his birthday and all the holidays. We want him home as soon as possible.”
Gershkovich has 15 days to appeal the court’s decision. He is also expected to pay legal fees, which NBC News reported would be around $75.