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Sverdlovsk regional court docket sentence American journalist Evan Gershkovich to 16 years in a most safety colony on espionage costs.
The prosecutors requested for an extended sentence for him – 18 years in jail.
The utmost penalty offered by the Russian Prison Code for treason (Article 276) is 20 years in jail.
The WSJ, in an editorial, stated Gershkovich’s conviction was disgraceful and the case in opposition to him unlawful. “We’ll proceed to do every part we will to free Evan and help his household. Journalism will not be a criminal offense, and we is not going to relaxation till it’s launched. This has to finish,” stated an announcement signed by editor-in-chief Emma Tucker and writer Almar Latour.
“16 years for a WSJ journalist is a travesty of justice, a politically motivated trial.” Evan have to be launched instantly,” wrote the top of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, on X (previously Twitter).
“Gershkovich was sentenced immediately to 16 years in jail, though he didn’t commit any crime. Russian authorities focused him just because he’s a journalist and an American citizen, US President Joe Biden stated. “We’re all the time seeking to free Evan and we are going to proceed to take action.” Different Individuals illegally detained and held hostage overseas.”
Gershkovich was held in March 2023 in Yekaterinburg, the place he went on a enterprise journey on behalf of WSJ editors. Whereas awaiting trial, the journalist spent 15 months in Moscow’s Lefortovo pre-trial detention heart.
How did the check go?
The court docket started contemplating the case of 32-year-old Gershkovich on June 26. The total consideration of the case on its deserves took three days.
For the reason that journalist was tried on costs of treason, court docket hearings had been held behind closed doorways – solely the decide, the prosecutor, the accused and his attorneys had been current.
On the night time earlier than the beginning of the trial, journalists had been allowed to enter the courtroom for a couple of minutes to take footage and movies. Gershkovich, with a shaken head, greeted his colleagues with a smile, however didn’t reply questions.
Journalists had been additionally allowed into the courtroom to announce the decision. Amongst them was the BBC’s Moscow correspondent Steve Rosenberg.
The remainder of the time, the media watched the method from the tip of the hall reverse the assembly room, because of a cordon with a safety officer, reporting that journalists had been licensed to the method.
photograph captions, Police cordon off the constructing of the Sverdlovsk Regional Courtroom through the trial of Evan Gershkovich
The second court docket listening to was scheduled for August 13, however this week it emerged that, on the request of the protection, it has been postponed for nearly a month – till July 18.
On the second assembly as a witness in court docket was questioned Member of the Legislative Meeting of Sverdlovsk, member of United Russia Vyacheslav Wegner, with whom Gershkovich met throughout his enterprise journey to the Urals. This deputy confirmed to journalists that he observed within the courthouse, however didn’t even specify which aspect he was a witness – the prosecution or the protection.
The day earlier than, it grew to become identified that the court docket had already accomplished the investigation of the Gershkovich case (which took two days), and on the third assembly on Friday, July 19, the events moved on to debate.
What’s the journalist accused of?
Based on the prosecutors, Gershkovich “on the directions of the CIA in March 2023, collected secret data within the Sverdlovsk area concerning the actions of the protection enterprise JSC NPK Uralvagonzavod for the manufacturing and restore of navy gear” and did this “with cautious compliance.” privateness measures.”
Based on the FSB, the journalist was detained “whereas making an attempt to acquire labeled data,” and the press secretary of the Russian President, Dmitry Peskov, stated that the journalist was “captured by purple hand”.
Based on the photographer who labored with Gershkovich, the reporter was gathering materials for an article about how individuals within the Russian areas see the struggle, for which he visited Yekaterinburg and Nizhny Tagil and plans to go to different cities. The media wrote that Gershkovich was additionally desirous about recruiting to Wagner PMC.
Gershkovich has pleaded not responsible and maintains that his actions had been purely journalistic, his protection says. The editors of the WSJ additionally disagree with the allegations, saying that the case is fake. The US State Division stated Gershkovich by no means labored for the state. US President Joe Biden stated the reporter’s arrest was “completely unlawful.”
Gershkovich was the primary American journalist in fashionable Russian historical past to be accused of espionage. His title is usually talked about within the context of the attainable change of foreigners arrested or convicted in Russia for Russian residents serving time within the outdoors of Russia, which for one motive or one other is essential to the Kremlin.
As will be estimated from the phrases of Vladimir Putin, for Moscow the principle candidate for a attainable change is Vadim Krasikov, who is taken into account an worker of the Russian particular companies. He’s serving a life sentence in Germany for the homicide of former Chechen area commander Khangoshvili in Berlin. In an interview with Tucker Carlson in 2024, Putin referred to as Krasikov a Russian patriot and stated that Russian and US intelligence businesses should “negotiate commerce”.
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2024-07-19 14:53:04