YEKATERINBURG, Russia (AP) — Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich went on trial behind closed doors in Yekaterinburg on Wednesday, 15 months after his arrest in the Russian city on espionage charges that he, his employer and the U.S. government vehemently deny.
Associated PressYEKATERINBURG, Russia — Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich went on trial behind closed doors in Yekaterinburg on Wednesday, 15 months after his arrest in the Russian city on espionage charges that he, his employer and the U.S. government vehemently deny.
Journalists were allowed into the courtroom for a few minutes Wednesday before the proceedings were closed. Also briefly permitted in court were two consular officers from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, according to the embassy. The White House said the officials were not able to speak with Gershkovich.
“Evan has never been employed by the United States government. Evan is not a spy. Journalism is not a crime. And Evan should never have been detained in the first place,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Wednesday. “Russia has failed to justify Evan’s continued detention. He, like fellow American Paul Whelan, is simply being used as a bargaining chip.”
“Evan has displayed remarkable resilience and strength in the face of this grim situation," U.S. Ambassador Lynne Tracy said on the first anniversary of his arrest. Gershkovich's arrest came about a year after President Vladimir Putin pushed through laws that chilled journalists, criminalizing criticism of what the Kremlin calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine and statements seen as discrediting the military. Foreign journalists largely left after the laws’ passage; many trickled back in subsequent months, but there were concerns about whether Russian authorities would act against them.
Not only is Uralvagonzavod strategically sensitive, it's also been a nest of vehement pro-Putin sentiment where an inquisitive American could offend and alarm. In 2011, a plant manager, Igor Kholmanskikh, attracted national attention on Putin's annual call-in program by denouncing mass protests in Moscow. Putin later appointed him as his regional envoy and as a member of the National Security Council.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Apple brings ChatGPT and more AI to devices, Wall Street yawnsWall Street – looking for more dazzling AI features and reassurance that would put Apple in good standing to compete on AI with Microsoft – is lukewarm on the event, with Apple shares closing down nearly 2%
Read more »
Stock market today (June 5, 2024): Asian stocks trade mixed after Wall Street logs modest gainsAsian shares traded mixed Wednesday, as investors weighed recent data highlighting a slowing U.S. economy that offers both upsides and downsides for Wall Street. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 shed 1.0% in early trading to 38,448.61. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 edged up 0.3% to 7,759.20. South Korea's Kospi jumped 1.2% to 2,695.02.
Read more »
Russia starts secret trial of US journalistPARIS — The closed-door trial on espionage charges of US reporter Evan Gershkovich is due to begin in Russia on Wednesday.
Read more »
US reporter Gershkovich to go on trial in RussiaDefining the News
Read more »
The trial of a US reporter charged with espionage in Russia is to begin June 26MOSCOW (AP) — The espionage trial in Russia of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich will begin on June 26 and will be held behind closed doors, a statement from the court that will hear the case said Monday.
Read more »
U.S. soldier stands trial in Russia on theft chargesSunStar Publishing Inc.
Read more »