Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was convicted of espionage on Friday and sentenced to 16 years in a maximum-security prison, with both his employer and the U.S. government denouncing the charges as false.
The rapid conclusion of the secretive trial in Russia’s politically charged legal system might pave the way for a prisoner exchange between Moscow and Washington.
Gershkovich, appearing thin with a shaved head and wearing a dark T-shirt, remained composed in a glass defendants’ cage at the Sverdlovsk Regional Court. He listened to the verdict with little reaction, occasionally smiling.
When asked by Judge Andrei Mineyev if he had any questions, Gershkovich responded, “No, your honor.”
Following the reading of the verdict, a courtroom spectator shouted, “Evan, we love you!”
During the closed-door closing arguments, Gershkovich maintained his innocence, according to the court’s press service.
Prosecutors had sought an 18-year sentence, but the judge reduced it to 16 years.
After the conviction, U.S. President Joe Biden stated that Gershkovich “was targeted by the Russian government because he is a journalist and an American.”
