Evan Gershkovich has been held in a Moscow prison for nearly 15 months.
But the WSJ reporter is on trial in the city of Yekaterinburg, a thousand miles from the Russian capital. This is where he was arrested during a reporting trip.
Prosecutors said Gershkovich was collecting classified information on behalf of the CIA on a Russian tank manufacturer near Yekaterinburg.
He, his employer and the U.S. government vehemently deny the charge and the espionage charge. If convicted, Gershkovic could face up to 20 years in prison.
“This is a sham. It’s outrageous and bizarre,” said Deborah Ball, deputy director of global reporting for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at The Wall Street Journal.
“[Evan] There will be no due process that we would expect in any Western court. It will be closed. This will be a secret.
“The acquittal rate in Russia is less than 1%. We don’t expect him to be acquitted.
On the streets of Yekaterinburg, there are few signs of the dramatic events that took place on March 29, 2023. On the other side of town, people sat outside playing chess while trams rumbled by.
The Wall Street Journal accused Moscow of “stockpiling Americans” in Russian prisons in exchange for Russians imprisoned abroad.
The list of U.S. citizens currently in Russian prisons includes Former Marine Paul Whelan. In 2020, he was found guilty of espionage and sentenced to 16 years in a penal colony.
Mr Whelan strongly denies committing any offence. As in the case of Evan Gershkovich, U.S. officials have officially designated him as “wrongfully detained.”
Last year, Alsu Kurmasheva, a journalist with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) in Prague – Arrested in Russia. Ms. Kurmasheva holds American and Russian passports.
On her way home to visit her sick mother, she was detained. She is accused of spreading “disinformation” about Russia’s armed forces over a book she helped edit that contained criticism of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
If convicted, she could face up to 15 years in prison.
Other Americans imprisoned in Russia include:
- Mark FogelFormer teacher at the Anglo-American School in Moscow, now closed. He is currently serving a 14-year sentence for drug smuggling after 17 grams of marijuana was found in his luggage at Moscow airport. He claims he uses the drug for medical purposes
- Gordon BlackA U.S. staff sergeant has been sentenced to three years and nine months in a penal colony by a Vladivostok court on charges including theft and threatening to kill his girlfriend.
When Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke publicly about Gershkovic’s case, he said he was open to the idea of a prisoner swap. There have been ongoing contacts between the United States and Russia.
But who does the Kremlin want in exchange?
President Putin did not mention anyone by name. But he has given strong hints. A few months ago, when asked about Gershkovich, the Russian president mentioned the case of Vadim Krasikov.
Krasikov is believed to be a Russian agent and is currently serving a life sentence in Germany for murder.
“Obviously, this is hostage diplomacy,” Deborah Power said.
“The Russians know very well what their goals are. Putin has made little secret of the fact that he wants to trade Evan and sees him as a pawn. He is a political hostage.
The Kremlin knew the United States would strike a deal to bring its citizens back. In 2022, U.S. authorities released convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout to secure Brittney Griner’s freedom. The American basketball star was jailed in Russia on drug charges.
Now, an American journalist is in the dock.
It is unclear how long Evan Gershkovich’s trial will last or how long the American journalist will remain in a Russian prison.
“There was no way we were reading this. We just didn’t know that we were shooting in the dark,” Ms. Power said.
“The Russians believe that this process, this sham trial, is part of some process that they envision. How it relates to what happens next, we have absolutely no idea.
