Russia Begins US Journalist Gershkovich's Closed-Door Trial

Facts

• A Russian court on Wednesday began the trial of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on espionage charges 15 months after his arrest.¹
• The trial is being held in secret, and because his Russian lawyers face a gag order, they are barred from publicly sharing updates about Gershkovich's case.²
• Gershkovich is accused of colluding with the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to gather secret information about a Russian tank factory. However, no evidence has been provided to support the accusation.³
• The 32-year-old journalist and his employer deny the charges, while the US government calls the proceedings 'nothing more than a sham trial.' If convicted, Gershkovich faces up to 20 years in prison.⁴
• Russia has indicated it may consider a prisoner swap involving Gershkovich but insists a verdict must come first. A verdict and a prisoner swap could reportedly take months or years. The next hearing is scheduled for Aug. 13.⁵
• Gershkovich is among many Americans detained by Russia, including former marine Paul Whelan, journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, and US Army staff sergeant Gordon Black.⁶

Sources: ¹Guardian, ²NPR Online News, ³CNN, ⁴ABC News, ⁵Associated Press and ⁶BBC News.

Narratives

• Anti-Russia narrative, as provided by BBC News. Gershkovich is being used as a pawn in this game of geopolitical chess. It's clear he is innocent; however, due to Russia's comically low acquittal rates, he will more than likely be found guilty. With rumors of a possible prisoner swap already circulating, it's evident that the only reason this charade of a trial is continuing is so Russia can use Gershkovich to trade for Russians detained abroad.
• Pro-Russia narrative, as provided by TASS. The US has been using its journalists — including Gershkovich, who tried to obtain sensitive information about the Russian military-industrial complex — for espionage purposes for years. Had he been dedicated to journalism, as he claims, his work could have included the many crimes committed by Ukraine, including the targeting of journalists — an issue the US wilfully ignores. Gershkovich is an American agent who must face the consequences of his actions.

Predictions