Wall Street Journal reporter, Evan Gershkovich went on trial behind closed doors in Yekaterinburg on Wednesday,
15 months after his arrest in the Russian city on espionage charges that he, his employer and the U.S. government vehemently deny.
The 32-year-old journalist appeared in the court with his head shaved by prison authorities.
The proceedings have been closed to the public, as is common in espionage and spying cases, making it illegal for the press to publish any evidence or testimony that is heard in the case.
Journalists were allowed in briefly to see Gershkovich.
According to court officials, the next hearing for Gershkovich is set for August 13, 2024.
Gershkovich is the first American journalist to be arrested in Russia on espionage charges since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Russian authorities arrested Gershkovich during a reporting trip to Yekaterinburg in the Ural mountains in March last year and claimed he was gathering secret information for the U.S.
Investigators allege that he was there to gather information on Uralvagonzavod, a Russian arms manufacturer based near Ekaterinburg that makes the country’s main battle tanks, along with other armaments.
They have published no evidence in the case.
Gershkovich, his newspaper and the US government all reject the allegations.
They say he was merely doing his job as a reporter accredited by Russia’s Foreign Ministry to work in the country.
Gershkovich faces up to 20 years in prison if the court finds him guilty, which is almost certain. Russian courts convict more than 99% of the defendants who come before them, and prosecutors can appeal sentences that they regard as too lenient, and they even can appeal acquittals.
In addition, Russia’s interpretation of what constitutes high crimes like espionage and treason is broad, with authorities often going after people who share publicly available information with foreigners and accusing them of divulging state secrets.
Asked about the trial during a conference call with reporters on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov refrained from comment, saying only “it’s necessary to wait for the verdict.”
Russia has not ruled out a prisoner exchange involving Gershkovich but says that’s not possible before a verdict in his case.
That could be months away, because Russian trials often adjourn for weeks. The post-verdict prospects are mixed.
During a recent interview with the American rightwing talkshow host Tucker Carlson, Russian President, Vladimir Putin indicated that he wanted to trade Gershkovich for Vadim Krasikov, a convicted murderer believed to be working for the FSB who is serving a life sentence in a German prison for the 2019 assassination of a former Chechen rebel commander in Berlin’s Tiergarten.
Gershkovich’s Closed Door Trial Decried
Emma Tucker, the Editor-in-chief of the Wall Street Journal, noted, “To even call it a trial, however, is unfair to Evan and a continuation of this travesty of justice that already has gone on for far too long.”
“This bogus accusation of espionage will inevitably lead to a bogus conviction for an innocent man who would then face up to 20 years in prison for simply doing his job.”
Emma Tucker
In an interview, Jay Conti, Executive Vice President and General Counsel for Dow Jones, publisher of the Journal, described the trial as a sham.
“He was an accredited journalist doing journalism, and this is a sham trial, bogus charges that are completely trumped up,” Conti said.
In a statement after his trial date was announced, Journal Publisher Almar Latour and Chief Editor Emma Tucker said, “Evan Gershkovich is facing a false and baseless charge.”
They asserted that the Russian regime’s “smearing of Evan is repugnant, disgusting and based on calculated and transparent lies,” while adding that journalism is not a crime.”
“We had hoped to avoid this moment and now expect the U.S. government to redouble efforts to get Evan released,” they said.
READ ALSO: Ghana’s High Commissioner Urges Caution Amid Escalating Protests in Kenya
