YEKATERINBURG, Russia (AP) — Closing arguments in American journalist’s espionage trial Evan Gershkovich A Russian court announced the trial would begin on Friday as it accelerated proceedings in the case of a journalist who has been in pretrial detention for more than a year.
Gershkovich appeared for the second day of a closed-door trial on Thursday, the court said. He denies the allegations, which he, his employers and the U.S. government strongly deny.
In previous trials, journalists were allowed to meet Gershkovich briefly before the hearing began, but this time they were not allowed into the courtroom and he did not appear, with no explanation given. Espionage cases are usually shrouded in secrecy.
Gershkovich, 32, was arrested during a reporting trip on March 29, 2023. Authorities alleged, without presenting evidence, that he was collecting secret information for the United States. American-born son of immigrants Gershkovich, a native of the Soviet Union, was the first Western journalist to be arrested. Suspicion In post-Soviet Russia.
The US State Department declared him to be “unlawfully detained” and promised that the government would vigorously seek his release.
If convicted, Gershkovich faces up to 20 years in prison, which is almost certain. Russian courts convict more than 99 percent of defendants, and prosecutors can appeal if they consider the sentence too lenient. Acquittals can also be appealed.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at the United Nations on Wednesday that Moscow and Washington’s intelligence agencies were discussing a swap for Gershkovich, Russian state news agency TASS reported. Russia has previously floated the possibility of a swap but has said a verdict must be issued first.
Gershkovich’s trial began in the Ural Mountain city of Yekaterinburg on June 26 after he served about 15 months in a Moscow prison. The infamous Lefortovo prison.
in The first day of the trial The court announced it would postpone the trial until mid-August, but Gershkovich’s lawyers had asked for a second hearing to be held earlier, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti and independent news site Mediazona reported on Tuesday, citing court sources.
Russia’s prosecutor’s office said last month that the journalist was accused of “collecting secret information” on the orders of the CIA about Uralvagonzavod, a factory about 150 kilometers (90 miles) north of Yekaterinburg that produces and repairs tanks and other military equipment.
Gershkovich’s employers and U.S. authorities have denied the charges as fabricated and called the trial illegal and a sham.
“Evan was never employed by the United States government. Evan is not a spy. Journalism is not a crime. And Evan should never have been detained in the first place,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said last month.
Furthermore, the interpretation of serious crimes such as Russian espionage and treason wideAuthorities go after people who share publicly available information with foreigners, often accusing them of leaking state secrets.
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Burrows reported from London.
