Yekaterinburg, Russia – Russian prosecutors asked for an 18-year prison sentence on Friday for Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovichwho is on trial on espionage charges that his employer and the US denounced as fabricated.
Gershkovich, 32, was arrested on March 29, 2023, during a reporting trip to the city of Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains. Authorities alleged, without offering any proof, that he was collecting secret information for the US. He pleaded not guilty, the court said, and the Wall Street Journal and the US government called the trial a sham.
Gershkovich appeared in court for the second day in a row on Friday as closed-door proceedings in Russia’s highly politicized legal system gathered speed. A verdict is expected later in the day, according to court officials.
Unlike previous sessions, in which reporters were allowed to see Gershkovich briefly before the sessions began, there was no access to the courtroom this week and he was not seen, with no explanation given. Espionage and treason affairs are typically shrouded in secrecy.
Court officials said prosecutors requested a sentence of 18 years in a maximum security prison during closing arguments. Russian courts convict more than 99% of defendants and prosecutors can appeal sentences they consider too lenient. They can still appeal acquittals.
“Evan’s wrongful detention has been an outrage since his wrongful arrest 477 days ago and must end now,” the Journal said Thursday in a statement. “Even as Russia orchestrates its shameful mock trial, we continue to do everything we can to press for Evan’s immediate release and to state unequivocally: Evan was doing his job as a journalist and journalism is not a crime. Take him home now.
The US State Department declared Gershkovich “unjustly detained,” committing the government to assertively seek his release.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Wednesday at the United Nations that Moscow and Washington’s “special services” are discussing an exchange involving Gershkovich. Russia had already signaled the possibility of an exchange, but says a verdict would have to be given first. Even after a verdict, any such settlement could take months or years.
Deputy State Department spokesman Vedant Patel declined Thursday to discuss negotiations over a possible swap, but said: “We were clear from the beginning that Evan did nothing wrong and should not have been detained. To date, Russia has provided no evidence of a crime and has been unable to justify Evan’s continued detention.”
Gershkovich’s trial began on June 26 in Yekaterinburg, after he spent about 15 months in a Moscow prison. notorious Lefortovo prison.
The Russian Prosecutor General’s office said last month that the journalist is accused of “gathering secret information” on CIA orders about Uralvagonzavod, a factory about 150 kilometers (90 miles) north of Yekaterinburg that produces and repairs tanks and other military equipment.
Lavrov on Wednesday reaffirmed the Kremlin’s claim that the government has “irrefutable evidence” against Gershkovich, although neither he nor any other Russian official has ever released it.
Gershkovich’s employer and U.S. authorities called the accusations false.
“Evan 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,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said last month.
Russia’s interpretation of what constitutes serious crimes such as espionage and treason is broad, with authorities often pursuing people who share publicly available information with foreigners and accusing them of divulging state secrets.
Earlier this month, UN human rights experts said Russia violated international law arresting Gershkovich and was supposed to release him “immediately.”
American arrests are increasingly common in Russia, with nine US citizens detained there as tensions between the two countries rose over fighting in Ukraine.
US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, accused Moscow of treating “human beings as bargaining chips”. She singled out Gershkovich and former Marine Paul Whelan, 53, a Michigan corporate security director who is serving a 16-year sentence after being convicted on espionage charges that he and the U.S. have denied.
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