By Liam Scott
A Russian court on Friday convicted American journalist Evan Gershkovich of espionage and sentenced him to 16 years in prison, in what is widely viewed as a politically motivated case.
The court announced the verdict shortly after 5 p.m. local time Friday, according to Russian independent media outlet Meduza.
Gershkovich, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, has been jailed in Russia since March 2023 on spying charges that he, his employer and the U.S. government vehemently deny.
The Journal condemned the conviction in a statement Friday.
"This disgraceful, sham conviction comes after Evan has spent 478 days in prison, wrongfully detained, away from his family and friends, prevented from reporting, all for doing his job as a journalist," the newspaper's publisher Almar Latour and editor in chief Emma Tucker said in the statement.
"We will continue to do everything possible to press for Evan's release and to support his family. Journalism is not a crime, and we will not rest until he's released. This must end now," they added.
In a statement posted on the social media platform Telegram, the Russian court said that Gershkovich "did not admit guilt," but that "the totality of the evidence presented to the court was sufficient to render a guilty verdict." The court also said Gershkovich has 15 days to appeal the conviction.
Karol Luczka, who covers Eastern Europe at the International Press Institute in Vienna, told VOA that although the case against Gershkovich is bogus, the conviction was expected due to the lack of rule of law in Russia.
"This prison sentence just shows how journalism has been completely used as a bargaining chip by the Russian authorities," Luczka said. "It just shows the complete lack of respect towards independent journalism by Russian authorities."
The State Department has declared the 32-year-old wrongfully detained, which commits the U.S. government to seek his release.
"We have been clear from the get-go that Evan did nothing wrong and should not have been detained," State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters Thursday. "To date, Russia has provided no evidence of a crime and has failed to justify Evan's continued detention. Evan should not be detained."
Gershkovich's trial began on June 26 in Yekaterinburg, where the journalist was initially detained. The Ural Mountains city is about 1,400 kilometers, or 870 miles, east of Moscow.
Press freedom groups and The Journal have consistently condemned Gershkovich's trial as a politically motivated sham.
"It's certainly a sham trial. It's a travesty of justice. The charges brought against him are spurious and unsubstantiated, and the whole thing is just a masquerade," Gulnoza Said, the Europe and Central Asia program coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists, or CPJ, told VOA in June, shortly before the trial began.
U.S. President Joe Biden affirmed in a Friday statement that the United States is working to secure Gershkovich’s release.
“There is no question that Russia is wrongfully detaining Evan. Journalism is not a crime. We will continue to stand strong for press freedom in Russia and worldwide, and stand against all those who seek to attack the press or target journalists,” Biden said.
“Evan has endured his ordeal with remarkable strength. We will not cease in our efforts to bring him home,” Biden added.
The U.S. embassy in Moscow did not immediately reply to VOA's email requesting comment for this story.
Hasty trial
Gershkovich's trial took place in secret, behind closed doors, which is common practice in Russia for cases of alleged treason or espionage involving classified state material.
Gershkovich's trial appears to have concluded much faster than expected. Based on similar previous trials, press freedom experts initially estimated that the trial would last a few months.
The second hearing was originally scheduled for August 13, but the court later moved it to July 18. The court then heard closing arguments Friday.
Russian authorities have accused Gershkovich of "gathering secret information" about a Russian tank manufacturer for the United States.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday repeated the Kremlin's claim of "irrefutable evidence" against Gershkovich, but the Russian government has to date failed to publicly disclose any evidence to support the claims against the journalist.
Lavrov said Wednesday at the United Nations that Moscow and Washington's "special services" are discussing an exchange involving Gershkovich. Russia and the United States have been negotiating a possible prisoner swap for months, but the Kremlin has said a verdict would have to come first.
Russia's Washington embassy did not immediately reply to VOA's email requesting comment for this story.
Gershkovich is one of two American journalists currently detained by Russia. The second, Alsu Kurmasheva, has spent nine months in custody.
The Prague-based journalist for VOA's sister outlet Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has been jailed since October 2023 on charges of failing to self-register as a foreign agent and spreading what Moscow views as false information about the Russian army.
Kurmasheva and her employer reject the charges, and the U.S. government has also called for her immediate release.
"Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva should never have been imprisoned in the first place," Luczka said. "We continue to demand Evan's immediate release, as well as that of Alsu Kurmasheva."
VOA's State Department bureau chief Nike Ching contributed to this report.