Russia will try Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on spy charges
June 13 (UPI) -- The Russian Prosecutor General's Office said Thursday Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich will be tried on espionage charges.
Russian prosecutors for the first time publicly made accusations against Gershkovich, alleging he acted on instructions from the CIA to collect information about tank manufacturer UralVagonZavod.
"The Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation has approved an indictment in the criminal case against U.S. citizen Evan Gershkovich," the office said in a statement. "The criminal case has been sent to the Sverdlovsk Regional Court for consideration on the merits."
Russia said Gershkovich was charged after an investigation by the Federal Security Service or FSB, but has not so far made public any actual evidence against him.
The Wall Street Journal and Gershkovich -- the first U.S. journalist since the Cold War ended to be accused of spying in Russia -- have denied he took part in any wrongdoing.
In March a Russian court extended the reporter's detention until at least June 30.
Gershkovich was arrested March 29, 2023 on espionage charges.
In April the State Department officially designated Gershkovich as "wrongfully detained."
A practical implication of that designation was to move Gershkovich's case to the Special President Envoy for Hostage Affairs. That office works to free Americans wrongly detained abroad.
On the anniversary of his detention, President Joe Biden said he told Gershkovich's parents that he will never give up hope of freeing the reporter.
"Journalism is not a crime, and Evan went to Russia to do his job as a reporter -risking his safety to shine the light of truth on Russia's brutal aggression against Ukraine. Shortly after his wholly unjust and illegal detention, he drafted a letter to his family from prison, writing: "I am not losing hope."
Gershkovich's father Mikhail told NBC News his son's detention has been hard.
"He spent all four seasons there, he spent his birthday and all the holidays. We want him home as soon as possible," he said.
