UPDATE - Court in Russia sentences US reporter to 16 years in prison for espionage

UPDATES WITH STATEMENTS FROM RUSSIAN ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE, GERSHKOVICH'S LAWYER

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - A court in Russia sentenced American journalist Evan Gershkovich to 16 years in prison on Friday for charges of espionage.

The prosecutor requested an 18-year sentence in a high-security prison colony, but the judge decided against the maximum term, as reported by the court's press service.

In a separate statement, the Russian Attorney General's Office stated that Gershkovich was accused of collecting classified information about the defense industry enterprise Uralvagonzavod on behalf of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

The statement emphasized that his activities were conducted with careful secrecy: "Illegal actions were committed by him in compliance with careful measures of secrecy."

Gershkovich pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Gershkovich's lawyer, Daniel Berman, has announced that he will file an appeal against the court's decision, saying he was not permitted to attend court proceedings. "I was told that there is already a lawyer on assignment," Berman added.

However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov explained that the court hearings were conducted in camera due to the sensitive nature of the espionage case.

Peskov also refrained from commenting on allegations that the trial was expedited to facilitate a potential exchange for a Russian citizen imprisoned in a Western country.

Gershkovich was detained in Russia in March 2023 on espionage charges. The Federal Security Service accused him of gathering state secrets about the military-industrial complex. Both Gershkovich and The Wall Street Journal deny the allegations, asserting that he was simply fulfilling his duties as a journalist.