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The Russian court found American journalist Evan Gershkovich guilty of espionage, and he was sentenced to 16 years in a high-security penitentiary colony. The trial was held behind closed doors and was criticized as a "sham" by the White House, his employer, and his family.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) correspondent was first detained by security agents in the city of Yekaterinburg, which is located roughly 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) east of Moscow, in March of last year while on a reporting assignment.
Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal, and the United States vigorously refute the charges made by the prosecutors that he is employed by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
Since the end of the Cold War more than 30 years ago, this is the first time a US journalist has been found guilty of espionage in Russia.
The court stated that both sides in the trial have fifteen days to file an appeal of the verdict.
Wall Street Journal publisher Almar Latour and Editor in Chief Emma Tucker released a statement saying, "This disgraceful, sham conviction comes after Evan has spent 478 days in prison, wrongfully detained, away from his family and friends, prevented from reporting, all for doing his job as a journalist."
"We'll keep doing everything in our power to support Evan's family and advocate for his release,"
"We won't stop until he's freed, and journalism is not a criminal offense." This needs to stop right away.
Russia is accused by Washington of using Gershkovich as a negotiating chip in the hopes of securing a prisoner swap with Russian nationals serving time abroad.
However, Moscow is aware that the US is willing to make exchanges in exchange for the release of its own individuals, and it is well known that the two nations have been talking about just such a swap.
Quick conviction, according to Russian experts, may indicate that a trade is about to happen. Russian courts typically require a verdict to be in place before they can enter into an exchange.
Russian President Vladimir Putin made a suggestion in February at a possible exchange in an interview with US journalist Tucker Carlson.
He was most likely referring to Vadim Krasikov, a Russian hit man for the Federal Security Service (FSB) who was shot and killed a former Chechen rebel commander in Berlin and is currently serving a life term in Germany.
The trial of Evan Gershkovich started last month, and the concluding two days of hearings were supposed to take place in August. An 18-year jail term was what the prosecution had requested.
However, the judge unexpectedly moved the hearing up to Thursday, and late on Friday afternoon, she delivered her decision.
Prosecutors said in a criminal indictment that Gershkovich, 32, was gathering "secret information" on a tank-producing business in the Sverdlovsk region "under instructions from the CIA."
The reporter has denied the accusations and defended his detention in a statement, calling the trial a "shameful sham" and his detention an "outrage".
