Russia Sentences American Journalist to 16 Years

A Russian court handed down a 16-year sentence to American journalist Evan Gershkovich on Friday, reports the Washington Post. The 32-year-old reporter for the Wall Street Journal was convicted of spying for the CIA, a charge the US and his newspaper employer say is a sham. (Prosecutors sought 18 years.)

• Now what: The guilty verdict was widely expected. The big question is whether Gershkovich will be used as a "bargaining chip" in a prisoner swap with Russia, notes the BBC. The two nations reportedly began talks even before the trial. In the meantime, Gershkovich has been ordered to a penal colony.

• State Department: "This fake, sham legal process that we are seeing play out has no bearing on the urgency that we have placed on seeking a release of Evan's detention and seeking a release for Paul Whelan as well," said Vedant Patel, deputy spokesman for the State Department. "And we'll continue to work that process tirelessly." Whelan is another detained American, and he has been held in Russia since 2018.
• Unwanted milestone: Gershkovich was detained in March 2023, and he is the first American journalist arrested in Russia since the Cold War, notes the BBC.

(More Evan Gershkovich stories.)