Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has been convicted of espionage by a Russian court and sentenced to 16 years in prison.
The background:
while on a reporting trip to the Ural Mountains and has been behind bars ever since.
The 32-year-old was the first US journalist taken into custody on espionage charges since Nicholas Daniloff in 1986 during the Cold War.
The key quote: “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.” — The Wall Street Journal.
What else to know: Gershkovich’s arrest shocked foreign journalists in Russia, even though the country has enacted increasingly repressive laws on freedom of speech after sending troops into Ukraine.
Closing arguments
, where Gershkovich did not admit guilt.
What happens next: US President Joe Biden said Gershkovich did not commit any crime and has been wrongfully detained.
He said his administration was “pushing hard” for the journalist’s release.
>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : SBS – https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/russian-court-jails-us-journalist-evan-gershkovich-for-16-years-on-espionage-charges/k8ye8bxh6
