A Russian court on Friday convicted American journalist Evan Gershkovich of espionage and sentenced him to 16 years in prison.
Gershkovich, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, has been jailed in Russia since March 2023 on spying charges that he, his employer, and the U.S. government vehemently deny.
In a statement posted on the social media platform Telegram, the Russian court said that Gershkovich “did not admit guilt,” but that “the totality of the evidence presented to the court was sufficient to render a guilty verdict.” The court also said Gershkovich has 15 days to appeal the conviction.
The State Department has declared the 32-year-old wrongfully detained, which commits the U.S. government to seek his release.
The Journal condemned the conviction in a statement Friday.
“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 newspaper’s publisher Almar Latour and editor in chief Emma Tucker 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 added.
