American journalist Evan Gershkovich, a correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, was convicted of espionage by a Russian court and sentenced to 16 years in a penal colony after a three-day trial.
Gershkovich, who was detained by Russian authorities last year, has denied the charges, according to The Wall Street Journal.
“This disgraceful, sham conviction comes after Evan has spent 478 days in prison, wrongfully detained, away from his family and friends, prevented from reporting, all for doing his job as a journalist,” Almar Latour, CEO of Dow Jones and publisher of The Wall Street Journal, and Editor-in-Chief Emma Tucker said in a statement.
“Journalism is not a crime, and we will not rest until he’s released,” they continued. “This must end now.”
The United States government refuted claims that Gershkovich was working for them. U.S. officials view the trial as a political move by Russia due to Gershkovich’s American nationality.
“We are pushing hard for Evan’s release and will continue to do so,” President Joe Biden said in a statement. “As I have long said and as the U.N. also concluded, there is no question that Russia is wrongfully detaining Evan. Journalism is not a crime.”
Russian authorities have not provided public evidence to support the espionage charges.
Gershkovich, 32, has been The Wall Street Journal’s Russian correspondent since 2022, according to The Associated Press. He is the son of Soviet immigrants to the U.S.
On March 29, 2023, he was arrested during a reporting trip in Yekaterinburg. Russian officials accused him of gathering information on a Russian defense contractor for the CIA .
The U.S. and Russia have previously discussed Gershkovich’s release, but Russian officials insisted a verdict was necessary before any negotiations.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the possibility of a prisoner swap following the conviction, according to The Wall Street Journal.
“I’m leaving that question without an answer,” he said, according to Russian state media. “There is a charge of espionage, so this is a very, very sensitive area.”
The U.S. continues to work on securing the release of Gershkovich and other detained Americans, including Paul Whelan, who is also serving a 16-year sentence on espionage charges, which the U.S. government has denied.
“Since the very first day of my administration. I have had no higher priority than seeking the release and safe return of Evan, Paul Whelan and all Americans wrongfully detained and held hostage abroad,” Biden said.