The trial of Evan Gershkovich in Russia will be held behind closed doors, facing 20 years in prison if convicted, despite denials by him, his employer, and the U.S. government, labeling it as wrongful detention.
The espionage case against Gershkovich involves allegations of gathering secret information about Uralvagonzavod on orders from the CIA, but Russia's Federal Security Service provided no evidence to support the claims.
The U.S. State Department emphasized that Gershkovich should be released immediately, stressing that journalism is not a crime, and highlighting that the charges against him are false.
Efforts by the Biden administration to negotiate Gershkovich's release have been met with Russia stating they would only consider a prisoner swap post-trial verdict, adding complexity to the situation.
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