YEKATERINBURG, Russia — Closing arguments began Friday in the espionage trial of American journalist Evan Gershkovich, who has been behind bars for more than a year on charges that he, his employer and the U.S. government vehemently deny.
Gershkovich appeared in court for the second day in a row as proceedings in Russia’s highly politicized legal system gathered speed. Unlike previous sessions in which journalists were allowed to briefly see Gershkovich before the proceedings began, this week there was no access to the courtroom and he was not seen, with no explanation given. Cases of espionage and treason are often shrouded in secrecy.
Gershkovich, 32, was arrested on March 29, 2023, while on a reporting trip to the city of Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains. Authorities claimed, without offering any evidence, that he was collecting secret information for the United States. Gershkovich, born in the United States and the son of immigrants from the USSR, is the first Western journalist to be arrested on espionage charges in post-Soviet Russia.
“Evan’s wrongful detention has been a scandal since his wrongful arrest 477 days ago, and it must end now,” the Journal said in a statement Thursday. “Even as Russia stages its shameful sham trial, we continue to do everything we can to push for Evan’s immediate release and state unequivocally: Evan was doing his job as a journalist, and journalism is not a crime. Bring him home now.”
The United States Department of State has declared Gershkovich “unjustly detained,” committing the government to aggressively seek his release.
Gershkovich faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted, which is almost a certainty in Russia’s highly politicized legal system. Russian courts convict more than 99% of defendants and prosecutors can appeal sentences they consider too lenient. They can even appeal acquittals.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday reaffirmed the Kremlin’s claim to have “irrefutable evidence” against Gershkovich, although neither he nor any other Russian official has ever revealed it. Lavrov said Wednesday at the United Nations that Moscow and Washington’s “special services” are discussing a swap involving Gershkovich. Russia has previously flagged the possibility of a swap, but says a verdict would have to come first.
State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel on Thursday declined to discuss negotiations over a possible swap, but said: “We have been clear from the beginning that Evan did nothing wrong and should not have been detained. To date, Russia has provided no evidence of any wrongdoing and has not justified the continued detention of Evan.”
The 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, Michigan’s director of corporate security, who is serving a 16-year sentence after being convicted of espionage charges that he and the United States denied.
Gershkovich’s trial began on June 26 in Yekaterinburg after spending about 15 months in Moscow’s notorious Lefortovo prison.
On the first day of the trial, the court said it would be adjourned until mid-August, but then changed the subject and rescheduled the hearings for this week after Gershkovich’s lawyers asked for them to be held earlier, according to Russian media reports.
Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office said last month that the journalist is accused of “gathering secret information” on CIA orders about Uralvagonzavod, a plant about 150 kilometers (90 miles) north of Yekaterinburg that produces and repairs tanks and other equipment. military.
Gershkovich’s employer and U.S. officials have dismissed those charges as fabricated and denounced the trial as illegitimate and a sham.
“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 in the first place,” 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, and authorities often pursue people who share publicly available information with foreigners and accuse them of divulging state secrets.
Earlier this month, U.N. human rights experts said Russia violated international law by imprisoning Gershkovich and should release him “immediately.”
The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which includes independent experts convened by the U.N.’s top human rights body, said there was a “striking lack of factual or legal basis” for the espionage charges brought against Gershkovich. She said his American nationality had been a factor in his detention and, as a result, the case against him was discriminatory.
Arrests of Americans are increasingly common in Russia, and nine American citizens are known to be detained there as tensions between the two countries have risen over fighting in Ukraine.
This story originally appeared on ABCNews.go.com read the full story
