Espionage Trial of WSJ's Evan Gershkovich: Witness Testimony Heard

The espionage trial of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich resumed behind closed doors on Thursday, hearing witness testimony. Gershkovich, accused of gathering secret information for the CIA, denies the charges. The U.S. government and the Wall Street Journal consider his arrest unjust and a sham.

The espionage trial of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich resumed on Thursday behind closed doors, hearing crucial witness testimony. The 32-year-old American denies the allegations of espionage, which could carry a prison sentence of up to 20 years. His employer has denounced the trial as a sham.

Prosecutors claim Gershkovich was gathering secret information on CIA orders about a tank manufacturing company for Russia's war in Ukraine. He is the first U.S. journalist arrested on such charges in Russia since the Cold War. Arrested in Yekaterinburg on March 29, 2023, he remains in Moscow's Lefortovo prison.

The Wall Street Journal and the U.S. government reject the allegations, insisting he was merely doing his job as an accredited journalist. A statement from his employer called for his immediate release, emphasizing journalism is not a crime.

(With inputs from agencies.)