Evan Gershkovich Trial: A Clash over Espionage Charges
Closing arguments have begun in the trial of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, accused of spying—a charge he, the Journal, and the US government deny. His arrest, the first of a Western journalist on espionage charges in post-Soviet Russia, has shocked foreign journalists working in Russia.
- Country:
- Russian Federation
Closing arguments commenced Friday in the trial of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who faces espionage charges that he, the Journal, and the US government have consistently denied.
The US government and The Wall Street Journal have condemned the trial, which began last month, as a sham.
Gershkovich, 32, has been detained since his March 2023 arrest during a reporting trip to Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains, marking the first arrest of a Western journalist on espionage charges in post-Soviet Russia.
His arrest has deeply unsettled foreign journalists in Russia, a country that has imposed stricter laws on freedom of speech following its military actions in Ukraine.
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