06/13/2024

Evan Gershkovich to Stand Trial on Espionage Charges in Russia

The American journalist was arrested, jailed more than a year ago

On Thursday, Russian prosecutors announced they have finalized an indictment against jailed American journalist Evan Gershkovich; they said he will stand trial on espionage charges in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg, where he was arrested more than a year ago.

Gershkovich, 32, was arrested while on a reporting trip for The Wall Street Journal in late March 2023 and is accused of spying for the United States. Gershkovich has vehemently denied the allegations against him — as has the Journal — and President Joe Biden has called his detention "totally illegal." The U.S. government has designated Gershkovich "wrongfully detained," meaning the government effectively considers him a political prisoner.

Russian authorities allege that Gershkovich used covert methods to gather information about the Uralvagonzavod factory outside the Ural mountain town of Yekaterinburg — a facility that has been sanctioned by the West and plays a significant role building tanks and other weapons for Russia in its war against Ukraine.

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