Washington — The case of American journalist Evan Gershkovich, who has been detained in Russia for over a year, has taken a new turn as Russian authorities announced on Thursday that he will stand trial in the city of Yekaterinburg. The 32-year-old journalist, who worked as a Russia correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, was arrested in March 2023 on espionage charges.
The Russian prosecutor general’s office stated that an indictment has been finalized and the case has been filed to the Sverdlovsky Regional Court in Yekaterinburg, a city located about 1,400 kilometers east of Moscow. Gershkovich is accused of “gathering secret information” about a facility in the Sverdlovsk region that produces and repairs military equipment.
However, both Gershkovich’s employer and the U.S. government have denied these accusations, with the U.S. State Department declaring the journalist’s detention as wrongful. This is the first time that Russia has publicly detailed the charges against Gershkovich, but no evidence has been provided to support these allegations. Gershkovich was accredited by the Foreign Ministry to work in Russia, further raising doubts about the legitimacy of the charges against him.
The Russian embassy in Washington did not respond to VOA’s request for comment on the matter. It is still unclear when the trial will take place, but experts on press freedom have expressed concerns that it will be a sham. However, they also believe that a trial is a necessary step in securing Gershkovich’s release through a prisoner swap between Moscow and Washington.
Gershkovich is one of two American journalists currently imprisoned in Russia. The other journalist, Alsu Kurmasheva, has been jailed since October 2023 on charges of failing to self-register as a “foreign agent” and spreading what Moscow considers to be false information about the Russian military. Kurmasheva, a dual U.S.-Russian national, has denied these charges, and the U.S. government has also called for her immediate release.
The case of Gershkovich and Kurmasheva highlights the ongoing crackdown on press freedom in Russia. The country has been consistently ranked as one of the most dangerous places for journalists, with numerous cases of harassment, intimidation, and imprisonment of reporters who dare to speak out against the government.
The U.S. government has been vocal in its condemnation of Russia’s treatment of journalists, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling for Gershkovich’s release during a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in May. The State Department has also urged Russia to respect its international obligations and ensure the safety and well-being of all journalists working in the country.
The international community has also expressed concern over the deteriorating press freedom situation in Russia. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on Russian authorities to drop all charges against Gershkovich and Kurmasheva and release them immediately. The organization has also urged the U.S. government to continue advocating for the release of the two journalists and to take necessary steps to protect the safety of all journalists working in Russia.
The case of Evan Gershkovich is a clear violation of press freedom and human rights. The charges against him are baseless, and his detention is a blatant attempt to silence and intimidate journalists. The U.S. government and the international community must continue to put pressure on Russia to release Gershkovich and Kurmasheva and to respect the fundamental right to freedom of the press.
In conclusion, the upcoming trial of Evan Gershkovich in Yekaterinburg is a crucial step in securing his release and bringing attention to the ongoing crackdown on press freedom in Russia. The international community must stand in solidarity with Gershkovich and all journalists who face persecution for simply doing their job. It is time for Russia to uphold its international obligations and protect the rights of journalists to report freely and without fear of reprisal.
