A secret trial is set to begin in Russia for American Evan Gershkovich. The Wall Street Journal reporter faces espionage charges and potentially 20 years in a Russian prison.

Moscow

A secret trial is set to begin in Russia for American journalist Evan Gershkovich. The Wall Street Journal reporter faces espionage charges and potentially 20 years in a Russian prison. The charges have been widely denied by Gershkovich, his employer, and the U.S. government, which has designated his case as one of wrongful detention.

For more than a year, Gershkovich has been held in Lefortovo prison in Moscow, known for its harsh conditions. Friends and family have only seen him encased in a glass box in a Russian courtroom. Gershkovich was arrested while reporting in Yekaterinburg and has been held in isolation for 23 hours a day.

Russian authorities announced that Gershkovich's trial would commence earlier this month. The Wall Street Journal expressed concerns about losing contact with him once he is transferred for the trial, with fears that he might end up in a harsher prison. Advocates remain hopeful that the U.S. government will find a way to secure his release, citing previous instances of Americans being released through prisoner exchanges.



Trial set to begin in Russia for U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich

For more than a year now, family and friends of Evan Gershkovich have only seen him like this, encased in a glass box inside a Russian courtroom. It was completely surreal that my friend, a normal guy, would be the first American journalist arrested in Russia since the Cold War. Sam Silverman is a longtime friend of Gershkovich's. They became roommates in their freshman year of college, and remained close ever since. It was very clear that it wasn't just a job to him, it was a career and even a calling. One that's come with a high price. While reporting for the Wall Street Journal in the eastern Russian city of Yekaterinburg, Russian authorities arrested Gershkovich, charging him with espionage. It's a charge that he, the newspaper and the U.S. government deny, with the U.S. State Department giving his case the special designation of wrongfully detained. We have been clear from the start that Evan has done nothing wrong. He should never have been arrested in the first place. Journalism is not a crime. The charges against him are false, and the Russian government knows that they are false. He should be released immediately. After 15 months behind bars, Russian authorities announced earlier this month that his secret trial would start on Wednesday. This trial is a complete sham. I mean, the charges are bogus. Russia has held Gershkovich in isolation 23 hours a day at the notorious Lefortovo prison in Moscow, used for political prisoners during the Soviet era. From all accounts, it's a place where they try to break you down mentally and spiritually. The Wall Street Journal fears they will lose contact with him once he is transferred for the trial, and that he will end up in an even harsher prison. Upon their convictions in Russia, two Americans, basketball player Brittany Greiner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, ended up in penal colonies several hundred miles from Moscow. A prisoner exchange with the U.S. led to Greiner's release. Whelan is in his fourth year of a 16-year sentence of manual labor. Gershkovich's advocates maintain hope that the U.S. will find a way to bring him home. So I want him to know that we're OK, we're here, we're united, we're fighting for him, and that when he gets out, we're going to throw the biggest welcome home party that he could ever imagine or hope for. A hope they are all holding on to.

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