American journalist Evan Gershkovich, a correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, has been charged with espionage by the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office. He was detained in March 2023 and the organization confirmed the accusation of guilt against him on its Telegram channel. The criminal case was referred to the Sverdlovsk Regional Court in Yekaterinburg, where he is currently being held.
The investigation found that Gershkovich collected secret information about the activities of the defense company Uralvagonzavod for the CIA in March 2023. According to Russian authorities, Gershkovich carried out these actions with great secrecy. Despite denials from US authorities and The Wall Street Journal, Russian security forces insisted that Gershkovich was caught red-handed.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin mentioned the possibility of a trade involving Gershkovich but stated that the journalist was working for US intelligence services and engaged in espionage. Talks were ongoing to potentially reach an agreement regarding Gershkovich’s case, but it remains unclear what will happen next.