YEKATERINBURG: Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was found guilty of espionage and sentenced to 16 years in a maximum-securit...
YEKATERINBURG: Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was found guilty of espionage and sentenced to 16 years in a maximum-security prison, according to a TASS reporter at the courtroom.
When reading out the verdict, the judge said the court found him "guilty of committing the crime." He also said the court ruled "to impose a sentence of 16 years in a maximum-security prison."
Earlier, the Sverdlovsk Regional Court held two sessions in the case behind closed doors before hearing closing arguments on Friday. Prosecution asked for a prison term of 18 years. Gershkovich didn’t plead guilty.
The Russian Federal Security Service, also known as the FSB, said that Gershkovich, collected information constituting a state secret about a Russian defense industry enterprise on orders from the US. The reporter was detained in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg in March last year.
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