By Jerald Jimenez
Jun 17, 2024, 10:25 AM EDT
Evan Gershkovich, an American journalist for The Wall Street Journal, who was arrested in Russia in April last year on charges of espionage, will face trial on June 26, according to the Sverdlovsk Regional Court.
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) formally accused Gershkovich, 32, of espionage after he was detained in Yekaterinburg while reporting. According to the indictment, Gershkovich was collecting secret information in the Sverdlovsk region about the activities of the defense company JSC NPK Uralvagonzavod, a manufacturer of tanks and other types of heavy weapons.
The news of the trial has attracted international attention, and the president of the United States, Joe Biden, has declared that Washington will continue working “every day to obtain his release” and will remain “firm” against all those who “seek to attack the press or journalists, the pillars of a free society.”
The government has reiterated that it maintains contacts with the US side regarding Gershkovich’s situation. Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned these contacts in an interview with the main international news agencies. If convicted, he could receive a sentence of between 10 and 20 years, according to Russian law.
For his part, spokesman for the Russian Presidency, Dmitri Peskov, stated in his daily telephone press conference that these contacts “are underway and must continue to be carried out in complete informative silence.” He emphasized that no announcements, statements or information can be provided in this regard.
When asked why the trial will be held behind closed doors, Peskov replied that this is a court decision that he cannot comment on.
Putin did not rule out the possibility of a prisoner exchange and affirmed that Russia is willing to talk about it, as the Kremlin leader told journalist Tucker Carlson in February. However, Putin insisted that Gershkovich was caught “red-handed” and that he was working for the US intelligence services.
With information from EFE