Russia jails US reporter for 16 years

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.