Russian prosecutors announced a major development in the case against jailed American journalist Evan Gershkovich on Thursday, saying they had finalized an indictment against him on espionage charges and that he would go on trial in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg where he was arrested. Over a year ago.
Russian authorities have said they may be willing to do a prisoner swap with Wall Street Journal reporter Gershkovich, but a verdict must be reached first.
Gershkovic is the first American journalist to be arrested on espionage charges since the end of the Cold War, and his detention highlights the extent to which Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has damaged relations between Moscow and Washington.
exist A statementProsecutors said they had determined and confirmed that Gershkovich “collected secret information about a factory in the Sverdlovsk region that produced tanks and other weapons” “on the instructions of the CIA” and “using covert means.”
Gershkovic, his employer and the U.S. government have denied the charges against him. The U.S. government has designated Gershkovic as “illegally detained,” which effectively means it is treating him as a political prisoner.
