Russia sets start date for Evan Gershkovich trial

The announcement of a hearing next week is the most significant movement in the Wall Street Journal journalist's case since his arrest in March 2023 for espionage.

A Russian court said Monday that the espionage trial of jailed American journalist Evan Gershkovich will begin next week and that the proceedings will be held behind closed doors.

< p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">The first hearing, set for June 26, will take place almost 15 months after Mr Gershkovich, 32, was arrested by security officers in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg, about 900 miles east of Moscow. After spending more than a year in a high-security prison in Moscow, Mr. Gershkovich, a journalist with the Wall Street Journal, will likely be transferred again to Yekaterinburg to stand trial.

Mr. Gershkovich had worked in Russia as a journalist for various publications for more than five years before his arrest. His employer and the U.S. government have denied the charges against him. The State Department has designated Mr. Gershkovich as “wrongfully detained,” effectively obligating him to work for his safe release.

The announcement of a trial date represents an important milestone. in Mr. Gershkovich's trial, which continues alongside negotiations between Russian and American security services for a possible exchange.

Russian authorities have let hear that they might be open to a prisoner exchange for Mr. Gershkovich, but only after a verdict has been reached in his case. An espionage trial typically lasts about four months in Russia, but can take up to a year, according to lawyers who have worked on such cases.

Last week , Russian prosecutors said they had finalized the espionage indictment against Mr. Gershkovich. They stated that "under the instructions of the CIA." and “using careful conspiracy methods,” Mr. Gershkovich “collected secret information” about a factory that produces tanks and other weapons in the Sverdlovsk region.

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