Russia jails US journalist Evan Gershkovich for 16 years on spying charges
President Joe Biden accused Russia for targeting the journalist "because he's American", ITV News' Warren Nettleford reports
US journalist Evan Gershkovich has been sentenced to 16 years for spying by a Russian court in what has been described as a "sham trial".
Gershkovich, a 32-year-old Wall Street Journal reporter, was detained in March 2023 while on a reporting trip to Yekaterinburg, Russia, and became the first American journalist to be accused of espionage since Nicholas Daniloff in 1986 - during the Cold War.
Russia claimed he was "gathering secret information" on orders from the CIA about Uralvagonzavod, a plant that produces and repairs tanks and other military equipment.
His arrest shocked foreign journalists in Russia, as the country has implemented laws surrounding freedom of speech since the war began in Ukraine.
At Sverdlovsk Regional Court, Russian prosecutors requested for Gershkovich to be sentenced to 18 years in a high-security prison.
Closing arguments were held behind closed doors at the trial, as espionage and treason cases are normally held in secrecy. Gershkovich did not admit any guilt, according to the court's press service.
President Joe Biden, who is currently self-isolating after contracting Covid, said Gershkovich was "wrongfully detained" and instead "targeted by the Russian government".
In a statement he assured his office was "pushing hard for Evan's release".
"There is no question that Russia is wrongfully detaining Evan. Journalism is not a crime," he wrote.
"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 added: "Evan has endured his ordeal with remarkable strength. We will not cease in our efforts to bring him home. And Jill and I are holding Evan and his family in our prayers."
The Wall Street Journal said in a statement that Gershkovich's detention "must end now".
"Evan's wrongful detention has been an outrage since his unjust arrest 477 days ago, and it must end now," it said.
"Even as Russia orchestrates its shameful sham trial, we continue to do everything we can to push for Evan's immediate release and to state unequivocally: Evan was doing his job as a journalist, and journalism is not a crime. Bring him home now."
The US State Department said that Gershkovich was "wrongfully detained" and is seeking his release.
"We have been clear from the get-go that Evan did nothing wrong and should not have been detained. To date, Russia has provided no evidence of a crime and has failed to justify Evan's continued detention," State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel said.
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer condemned Gershkovich's sentencing as "despicable", adding it "only serves to underscore Russia’s utter contempt for media freedom".
He called for Gershkovich's immediate release.
The trial could perhaps clear the way for a prisoner swap between Russia and the US.
Earlier this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin hinted that he would be open to exchanging Gershkovich for Vadim Krasikov, a Russian imprisoned for the 2019 killing of a Georgian citizen in Berlin.
On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow and Washington's "special services" are discussing an exchange involving Gershkovich.
However, such a deal could take months or years.
In early July, United Nations (UN) human rights experts said Russia violated international law by jailing Gershkovich and should release him "immediately".
US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, accused Russia of treating "human beings as bargaining chips".
Arrests of Americans are becoming increasingly common in Russia, with nine US citizens known to have been detained there.
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