US reporter jailed in Russia will have a closed-door trial

The trial of jailed US journalist Evan Gershkovich will start in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg later this month behind closed doors, the court has said.

- TOM WATLING

The first American journalist to be detained on spy charges in Russia since the Cold War more than three decades ago, Mr Gershkovich has repeatedly denied the charges and nations including the US and UK have hit out at what they see as politically motivated charges – with the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reporter having just been doing his job. Joe Biden has called his detention “totally illegal”.

Mr Gershkovich has been behind bars since his March 2023 arrest. He could be imprisoned for up to 20 years if convicted. Russian authorities claim the 32-year-old journalist was “gathering secret information” about Uralvagonzavod, a facility that produces and repairs military equipment, on orders from the CIA.

The trial is to be held on 26 June at the Sverdlovsky Regional Court in Yekaterinburg, Russia’s fourth-largest city, where he was arrested. He has since been held in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison, around 870 miles to the west. The court added that the trial will be closed to the public.

Russia’s Federal Security Service alleges that Mr Gershkovich was acting on orders from Washington to collect state secrets but has still provided no evidence.