A Russian court on Friday sentenced American journalist Ivan Gershkovich to 16 years in prison on charges of “espionage,” a ruling that Western governments and his employer described as “despicable,” “disgraceful,” and “false.”
Gershkovitch was sentenced after just three court sessions in a closed-door trial in the city of Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains, the city where he was arrested during a press trip in March 2023.
After the verdict was pronounced, US President Joe Biden said that Gershkovitch was “targeted by the Russian government because he is a journalist and an American.”
He added in a written statement released by the White House: “We are pushing hard for Evan’s release and will continue to do so.”
Both Washington and Moscow say talks on a prisoner exchange are continuing.
Russia has previously said its policy is not to traffic people before they are convicted, suggesting Friday’s ruling could pave the way for the 32-year-old journalist to be exchanged in a deal.
US presidential candidate Donald Trump wrote on his website, Truth Social: “Biden will never take him out, unless he pays the king’s ransom. I will take him out without any compensation immediately after our victory on November 5, and that will be mine.” “It’s a great honor to do that.”
In court on Friday, Gershkovitch did not appear to react to the ruling, as he stood in a glass cage for the defendants wearing dark pants and a shirt. He waved to his fellow journalists as he was led away.
Judge Andrei Minev said Gershkovich would be sent to a “strict regime colony” – a Russian concentration camp known for its harsh conditions and strict rules.
‘Disgraceful and shameful condemnation’
The Wall Street Journal reporter, who pleaded not guilty, became the first journalist in Russia to be accused of espionage since the Cold War when he was arrested in 2023.
He has spent nearly 16 months in detention on charges the U.S. government and his employer have long said were trumped up.
“This disgraceful and false conviction comes after Ivan spent 478 days in prison, was unjustly detained away from his family and friends, and banned from reporting, all for doing his job as a journalist,” said Almar Latour, the magazine’s publisher and editor-in-chief. President Emma Tucker said in a statement.
Washington believes he is being held as a bargaining chip to secure the release of Russians convicted abroad.
His trial has moved quickly since the first hearing in late June, with the prosecution and defense teams presenting their final arguments on Friday.
Other similar cases in Russia have proceeded much more slowly, with hearings separated by several weeks or even months.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the ruling as “despicable,” adding that it “only serves to underscore Russia’s utter contempt for media freedom.”
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the case was “politically motivated” and showed “Russian President Vladimir Putin’s fear of the force of facts.”
UN spokesman Farhan Haq expressed “serious concerns”, telling reporters: “Journalists must be able to perform their essential professional functions and work in a safe environment without fear of reprisal.”
Russian opposition figure Yulia Navalnaya denounced the “unjust” conviction of Gershkovich, writing in a post on social media: “We must fight for every person serving an unjust sentence in Putin’s prison and demand his immediate release.”
Talks are continuing
The Kremlin has provided no public evidence of the espionage allegations, saying only that Gershkovitch was caught “red-handed” spying on a tank factory in the Ural region while working for the CIA.
The prosecutor said Friday that Gershkovitch acted with “meticulous confidential procedures.”
Tensions escalated between the two countries due to the military attack launched by Moscow in Ukraine.
Moscow and Washington have said they are open to exchanging correspondents in a deal, but neither has provided any clues about when that might happen.
When asked on Friday, the Kremlin declined to speculate on a possible prisoner exchange.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday that talks between the US and Russian special services regarding a possible prisoner exchange are continuing, without naming any specific people.
Putin indicated that he wanted to see the release of Vadim Krasikov, a Russian convicted in Germany of killing a Chechen separatist leader. German judges said it was an assassination planned by the Russian authorities.
‘Arbitrary arrest
Other US citizens detained in Russia include journalist Alsu Kurmasheva and ballerina Ksenia Karelina, both Russian-American citizens, and Paul Whelan, a former US Navy SEAL, who is serving a 16-year prison sentence for espionage.
The White House has warned US citizens still in Russia to “immediately leave” due to the risk of wrongful detention.
Gershkovitch, born in the United States, the son of Soviet immigrants and raised in New Jersey, has been reporting from Russia since 2017, and continues to return for trips to cover events after the Russian attack in Ukraine.
In the isolated Liv district of Moscow
