US reporter Evan Gershkovich was sentenced by a Russian court on Friday to 16 years in prison for “espionage”, a verdict slammed as “despicable”, “disgraceful” and a “sham” by Western governments and his employer.
Gershkovich was sentenced after just three court sessions in a secretive closed-door trial in the Urals City of Yekaterinburg, the city where he was arrested while on a reporting trip in March 2023.
After the sentencing, US President Joe Biden said Gershkovich was “targeted by the Russian government because he is a journalist and an American.”
“We are pushing hard for Evan’s release and will continue to do so,” he added in a written statement published by the White House.
Both Washington and Moscow say talks over a prisoner swap are ongoing.
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