American Journalist Evan Gershkovich Faces Espionage Trial in Russia

Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, has been arrested and charged with espionage in Russia. The closed-door trial began on Thursday, and he is likely to be convicted despite the lack of publicly available evidence supporting the charges.

On Thursday, the espionage trial of American journalist Evan Gershkovich resumed behind closed doors in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg. Gershkovich, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, has been detained since March 2023 on accusations of gathering secret information for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), a claim he vehemently denies.

American Journalist Evan Gershkovich Faces Espionage Trial in Russia

The hearing was not open to the press, and the court has stated that the media will only be allowed to access Gershkovich when the verdict is announced. Closed trials are standard in Russia for cases involving classified material related to treason or espionage.

Gershkovich is the first known Western journalist to be arrested on espionage charges in post-Soviet Russia and faces up to 20 years in prison. The American-born son of immigrants from the USSR, Gershkovich is being held in Moscow's Lefortovo prison.

American Journalist Evan Gershkovich Faces Espionage Trial in Russia

According to Russian authorities, Gershkovich gathered secret information on orders from the CIA about Uralvagonzavod, a plant that produces and repairs tanks and other military equipment located approximately 90 miles north of Yekaterinburg. However, no publicly available evidence supports these allegations.

The Kremlin claims to have "irrefutable evidence" of Gershkovich's involvement in espionage, but these claims have not been made public. Gershkovich, his employer, and the U.S. government have vigorously denied the charges.

American Journalist Evan Gershkovich Faces Espionage Trial in Russia

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby has refuted the accusations, stating that Gershkovich has never been employed by the United States government. "Evan is not a spy. Journalism is not a crime. And Evan should never have been detained in the first place," Kirby said in May.

Gershkovich's trial is expected to result in a conviction, as Russian courts have a conviction rate of over 99%. Prosecutors have the authority to appeal sentences they deem too lenient, including acquittals.

American Journalist Evan Gershkovich Faces Espionage Trial in Russia

Russia has hinted at the possibility of a prisoner exchange involving Gershkovich in the future, but such a swap cannot occur until a verdict is reached in his case. President Putin has expressed interest in freeing Vadim Krasikov, a Russian imprisoned in Germany for the assassination of a Chechen rebel leader.

In 2022, Russia and the United States engaged in a prisoner exchange that freed WNBA star Brittney Griner, who was serving a 9 1/2-year sentence for cannabis possession in Russia, in exchange for arms dealer Viktor Bout. The Biden administration would likely face criticism for making any concessions in a swap for Gershkovich, particularly after facing backlash for the Griner exchange.

Russia's release of Paul Whelan, a U.S. Marine veteran imprisoned on espionage charges, was notably excluded from the Griner deal. Whelan has denied the charges and received a 16-year prison sentence in 2020.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated on Wednesday that confidential negotiations regarding Gershkovich's potential release are "ongoing."

Fox News' Landon Mion, the Associated Press, and Reuters contributed to this report.