On Wednesday, June 26, the American journalist Evan Gershkovich, who had been detained in a Moscow prison, faced a closed-door trial in Russia. A few hours later, Russia once again signaled to the United States for a prisoner exchange.
The 32-year-old Wall Street Journal reporter was on trial in a court in Yekaterinburg, a thousand miles away from the Russian capital. He was arrested by the Russian security service (FSB) on espionage charges while reporting for the Wall Street Journal in March last year and has been detained since. Gershkovich is the first American journalist detained by Russia on espionage charges since the Cold War.
Prosecutors alleged that the American journalist collected confidential information on a Russian tank manufacturer near Yekaterinburg on behalf of the Central Intelligence Agency.
Gershkovich himself, his employer, and the U.S. government have all strongly denied the accusation. If convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The court announced that Gershkovich’s next hearing is scheduled for August 13.
State Department spokesperson John Kirby stated, “Evan is not a spy.”
The U.S. Embassy in Moscow issued a statement saying that Gershkovich’s case “has nothing to do with evidence, procedural norms, or the rule of law. This is the Kremlin using an American citizen to achieve its political goals.”
According to the Wall Street Journal, before the hearing at the Sverdlovsk Regional Court, Gershkovich was seen standing in a metal and glass cage known as the “aquarium” in a Russian court. He was bald, wearing a checkered shirt and jeans, smiling at the camera but not making any comments.
The White House said that Russia is using Gershkovich as a “bargaining chip.”
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Russian media on Wednesday, “We have repeatedly emphasized that since the U.S. government shows such keen interest and proactive actions regarding his (Gershkovich’s) fate, they should seriously consider the signals received through relevant channels in Washington.”
When asked about Ryabkov’s remarks, a U.S. State Department spokesperson said, “We will not negotiate publicly.”
In a statement on Wednesday, Gershkovich’s family expressed their longing for him, stating that the past 15 months have been “excruciatingly painful” for them.
Russia is also detaining another American citizen, Paul Whelan, a retired Marine Corps officer, who was sentenced to 16 years in prison on espionage charges on June 15, 2020. Whelan, his family, and the U.S. government have all asserted that the espionage allegations are false.
The Wall Street Journal criticized Moscow for “stockpiling Americans” in Russian prisons in exchange for Russians imprisoned abroad.