Evan Gershkovich, who has been held in pre-trial detention for 15 months, could face 20 years behind bars, if found guilty.
Prosecutors allege he collected classified information for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency on Uralvagonzavod, a tank manufacturing company supporting Russia's war in Ukraine.
The journalist, the Wall Street Journal, and the U.S. government deny the allegations, asserting he was performing his duties as a journalist accredited by Russia's Foreign Ministry.
Before the trial began, journalists briefly filmed the 32-year-old standing in a glass enclosure, sporting a shaved head, wearing an open-necked shirt, smiling faintly, and nodding at familiar faces.
In Russia, closed trials are common in cases of treason or espionage involving state secrets and can last for several months. The Kremlin has stated, without presenting evidence, that Gershkovich was caught “red-handed,” emphasizing that the case's handling is up to the court.
This trial unfolds amid heightened tensions between Moscow and Washington, exacerbated by the Ukraine conflict.
President Vladimir Putin has expressed openness to a potential prisoner exchange involving Gershkovich, saying that discussions with the U.S. are ongoing but confidential.
The U.S. has condemned Russia for “hostage diplomacy” and labeled Gershkovich and another American, Paul Whelan, who is serving a 16-year sentence in Russia after being convicted of spying, as “wrongfully detained.”
The trial is being held in Yekaterinburg, where FSB officers arrested Gershkovich on March 29, 2023, at a steakhouse. Following his arrest he was held in Moscow's Lefortovo prison.
The Wall Street Journal has not commented on his reporting assignment in Russia’s Urals region or the specific claims related to Uralvagonzavod. The paper’s publisher, Almar Latour, has reiterated that Gershkovich was simply performing his role as an accredited journalist.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, many Western news organizations withdrew staff due to new laws imposing severe penalties for “discrediting” the military or spreading “fake news.”
Gershkovich was among the few Western journalists who continued reporting from within Russia. Another journalist, Alsu Kurmasheva, was arrested last year and faces trial for violating Russia's “foreign agent” law and disseminating false information about the military, which she denies.
French researcher Laurent Vinatier was also recently arrested in Moscow for allegedly not registering as a foreign agent while collecting information on the Russian military.
