Russian court sentences Evan Gershkovich to 16 years in prison

The court on Friday found the U.S. reporter guilty of espionage and sentenced him to serve his sentence in a high-security prison colony, according to a report by the state-run Russian news agency, TASS. Gershkovich is a journalist for The Wall Street Journal and has been in Russian custody for over a year. Prosecutors asked for an 18-year sentence and claimed the 32-year-old reporter was working for the CIA to collect classified information about Russian military operations. He is the first American journalist to be arrested on espionage charges in Russia since the Cold War.

What happens now? The U.S. government has been trying to negotiate his release, saying there is no evidence to support the charges. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said a verdict was necessary before a prisoner swap could take place, according to TASS. Executives at The Wall Street Journal called the conviction a sham and demanded Gershkovich’s release.

Dig deeper: Read Christina Grube’s report in The Sift on Biden’s acknowledgment of the first anniversary of Gershkovich’s arrest and the warning he gave Putin.