Wall Street Journal reporter, Evan Gershkovich is jailed for 16 years by Russian court on ‘espionage’ charges

US reporter, Evan Gershkovich has been jailed for 16 years by a Russian court after being found guilty of espionage charges.

The court in Yekaterinburg announced the guilty verdict and sentencing on Friday afternoon, July 19.

Gershkovich, a 32-year-old American was first arrested last March while on a reporting trip in the city of Yekaterinburg, about 1,600km (1,000 miles) east of Moscow, by security services. He was accused of spying for the CIA but Russian authorities never offered any public evidence publicly to support their claims.

Prosecutors accused him of working for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), accusations that Gershkovich, the WSJ and the US vociferously deny.

It marks the first conviction of a US journalist for espionage in Russia since the Cold War ended more than 30 years ago.

Prosecutors accused him of working for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), accusations that Gershkovich, the WSJ and the US vociferously deny.

It marks the first conviction of a US journalist for espionage in Russia since the Cold War ended more than 30 years ago.

In a statement following Friday’s sentencing, Gershkovich’s employer said: “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.

“We will continue to do everything possible to press for Evan’s release and to support his family,” the statement from Dow Jones CEO and Wall Street Journal Publisher Almar Latour and Wall Street Journal Editor in Chief Emma Tucker continued.

“Journalism is not a crime, and we will not rest until he’s released. This must end now,” it added.

US and Western officials have accused Russia of using Gershkovich and other jailed foreigners as bargaining chips for possible prisoner exchanges.