Trial of American journalist accused of espionage begins in Russia

MOSCOW

A court in Russia on Wednesday began the trial of American journalist Evan Gershkovich, who worked for the Wall Street Journal and was arrested on espionage charges.

The first hearing was held in the city of Yekaterinburg by the Sverdlovsk Regional Court, which was conducted in-camera due to sensitive details of the case.

After both sides presented arguments, the hearing was adjourned for Aug. 13, the court's press service said in a statement.

Gershkovich was detained in March 2023 on charges of espionage.

Russia’s Federal Security Service accused him of obtaining state secrets about the military-industrial complex, which Gershkovich and the WSJ have denied, claiming he was simply doing his job as a journalist.

Earlier this month, when asked about the possibility of Gershkovich being exchanged for a Russian citizen imprisoned in Western countries, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, "Contacts are underway."

"There exist such contacts. They are ongoing and should continue to be conducted in complete silence. There cannot be any announcements here," he said.

President Vladimir Putin also said during a meeting with heads of international news agencies on June 5, that the US "is indeed taking vigorous steps to secure his release."

He said resolving such issues requires a professional approach and dialogue between intelligence agencies, rather than relying solely on media coverage.

"And of course, they absolutely have to be resolved based on reciprocity. The relevant services of the United States and Russia are in touch on this issue," he added.