American reporter Evan Gershkovich sentenced to 16 years in Russian prison

A Russian court has convicted Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on espionage charges Friday, sentencing him to 16 years in prison.

The journalist, arrested in March 2023, was found guilty of spying in Russia . Both the Wall Street Journal and the U.S. government have denounced the trial against Gershkovich as a sham.

The brief trial began on June 26, with media access to the arguments limited. Most of the trial, along with closing statements, were held behind closed doors, with little evidence being presented publicly. Gershkovich is the first U.S. journalist to be charged with espionage charges in Russia since 1986, during the Cold War.

Wall Street Journal publisher Almar Latour and Wall Street Journal Editor-in-Chief Emma Tucker decried the conviction in a joint statement Friday, arguing that "journalism is not a crime" and vowing not to rest until he is released.

“This disgraceful, sham conviction comes after Evan has spent 478 days in prison wrongfully detained, away from his family and friends, prevented from reporting, all for doing his job as a journalist," they said in the statement.

"We will continue to do everything possible to press for Evan’s release and to support his family. Journalism is not a crime, and we will not rest until he’s released. This must end now,” they continued.

The State Department has labeled Gershkovich as "wrongfully detained" since April 2023.

President Joe Biden condemned the verdict in a statement Friday, saying the White House is "pushing hard" to secure Gershkovich's release from Russia.

"Today, Evan Gershkovich received a sentence of 16 years in a Russian prison, despite having committed no crime. Rather, he was targeted by the Russian government because he is a journalist and an American. We are pushing hard for Evan’s release and will continue to do so," Biden said. "As I have long said and as the UN also concluded, there is no question that Russia is wrongfully detaining Evan. Journalism is not a crime."

The president also pushed for more press freedom worldwide and said his top priority has always been to secure the release of wrongfully detained U.S. citizens abroad.

"Evan has endured his ordeal with remarkable strength," Biden added. "We will not cease in our efforts to bring him home. And Jill and I are holding Evan and his family in our prayers."

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In an interview with Tucker Carlson earlier this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin refused to release Gershkovich but said "an agreement can be reached" on a prisoner swap between the United States and Russia.

The most recent high-profile prisoner swap between the two countries saw the U.S. get WNBA player Brittney Griner released in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout in December 2022.