Russia sentences U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich to 16 years in prison
The Wall Street Journal reporter is to serve his sentence in a "strict regime" penitentiary.
Journalist Evan Gershkovich
A Russian court on Friday sentenced U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich to 16 years in prison for espionage, a charge denied by the reporter himself, his family and the White House.
The 32-year-old Wall Street Journal writer is to serve his sentence in a "strict regime" prison colony as ordered by judge Andrei Mineyev, according to an AFP reporter present in court.
The American journalist was arrested in March 2023 in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg. He was accused of having collected sensitive Russian military information on behalf of the CIA. Since then he has been imprisoned in Russia in high security facilities. The United States considers that his arrest is aimed at forcing a possible prisoner swap at the height of tension between Moscow and Washington over the conflict in Ukraine.
The 'Wall Street Journal' again condemns prosecution of its journalist
"This shameful and false conviction comes after Evan has spent 478 days in prison, unjustly detained, away from his family and friends, prevented from reporting, all for doing his job as a journalist," the paper's publisher, Almar Latour, and editor-in-chief, Emma Tucker, said in a statement picked up by AFP. We will continue to do everything in our power to demand Evan's release and support his family," they assured, recalling that "journalism is not a crime."
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) also reacted, calling the court decision "outrageous" and calling on Russian authorities to "withdraw these false accusations of espionage and immediately release Gershkovich."
Biden says he is "pushing" for Gershkovich's release
President Joe Biden made a statement Friday after the Gershkovich conviction was announced. The Democrat assured that his Administration is "pushing hard" for Russia to release the journalist.
"We are pressing hard for Evan's release and will continue to do so," Biden said in a statement, adding that the Wall Street Journal employee "has committed no crime" and is a "target" of Moscow just for being a reporter and a U.S. citizen.
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