Secret Russian trial of American reporter Evan Gershkovich barrels toward end

The secret trial of American reporter Evan Gershkovich resumed on Thursday in Russia, and the court said closing arguments were set for Friday. Thursday's hearing had originally been scheduled for Aug. 13.

Authorities there arrested the Wall Street Journal reporter in March 2023, accusing him of espionage. Those are charges that he, the newspaper and the U.S. government deny.

The U.S. State Department considers Gershkovich to be "wrongfully detained."

At the United Nations this week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov all but said that Gershkovich would likely be convicted, saying that authorities had "irrefutable evidence" of his espionage.

However, that evidence has never been made public — and likely never will be.

This entire trial, which U.S. officials call a "sham," has been held in secret in Russia. No members of the public, the press, nor any embassy officials have been allowed in to observe the proceedings.

Unlike last month — when reporters were briefly able to see Gershkovich before the start of the hearing— as his trial resumed on Thursday, no one was allowed inside the courtroom at all.

There are efforts for a prisoner exchange that would get Gershkovich and another American, former marine Paul Whelan, out of Russia.

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At the U.N. this week, the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., Linda Thomas-Greenfield, took Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov to task during a meeting.

"Minister Lavrov, I want to look into your eyes, while you look into your phone and say we will not rest until Paul and Evan come home and Russia has ceased this barbaric practice of holding human pawns, once and for all," Amb. Thomas-Greenfield said, adding, "and that is a promise."

The day after her remarks, Lavrov held a news conference at the U.N., where he confirmed there have been talks between the U.S. and Russia for a prisoner exchange. He chastised American reporters for talking about it.

"Everyone knows that this topic needs to be discussed calmly, confidentially, even though it is constantly being introduced into the public space by American journalists, which is not helping," Lavrov said, "but the contacts are ongoing."

The U.S. previously negotiated a prisoner exchange with Russia for U.S. basketball player Brittney Griner.

If convicted, Gershkovich faces up to 20 years behind bars.

Paul Whelan is currently five years into serving his 16-year sentence at a remote Russian penal colony.