Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, after more than a year of imprisonment in Moscow, has been brought to trial Wednesday in Yekaterinburg on trumped-up charges of espionage.
Russian authorities claim that Gershkovich was gathering intelligence about a Russian tank manufacturer for the CIA. The United States, Gershkovich, and the Journal all maintain that Gershkovich is innocent of the charges levied against him. The trial, like many in Russia, will be held behind closed doors.
"This bogus accusation of espionage will inevitably lead to a bogus conviction for an innocent man," Journal editor in chief Emma Tucker said in a statement.
No evidence has been publicly brought against Gershkovich, despite Russian claims that he was caught "red-handed." If convicted, Gershkovich could spend up to 20 years in prison.
Gershkovich and at least a dozen other Americans detained in Russia, according to Reuters, have been caught up in the growing tensions between the Kremlin and Washington over the Ukraine war. Russian authorities, including Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, have suggested the possibility of a prisoner exchange involving Gershkovich.
"We have repeatedly emphasized that the U.S. administration, which shows such interest and activity with regard to his fate, should still seriously consider the signals that they in Washington received through the relevant channels," Ryabkov told Russian state media.
"Evan’s case is not about evidence, procedural norms, or the rule of law. It is about the Kremlin using American citizens to achieve its political objectives," the U.S. embassy said in a statement.
Journal executives are doubtful Gershkovich will receive due process in this closed-door trial.
"Evan will not enjoy any of the due process that we would expect in any Western court," said Deborah Ball, deputy world coverage chief for Europe, Middle East, and Africa at the Journal. "Russia’s acquittal rate is less than one percent. We don’t expect any chance of him being acquitted."