(NewsSpace.com) – Russia has a habit of arresting Americans and using them as bargaining chips. It has been prolific in its activity since it launched its offensive on Ukraine. One of the latest to fall victim is Evan Gershkovich, a journalist for The Wall Street Journal. He was arrested in March 2023 in Yekaterinburg. Now, he’s been sentenced to 16 years in prison, and Russia is placing some of the blame on the United States media.
On Wednesday, July 17, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov gave a speech in which he said that Russia is in possession of “irrefutable evidence” that Gershkovich engaged in espionage during his stay in Russia. Yet none of this evidence has been made public. Both the US government and The Wall Street Journal adamantly deny that he is guilty of any crime and accuse the Russian government of fabricating lies to take him as a political hostage.
Lavrov turned that accusation around and pointed the finger at both the US and the United Kingdom, saying the two countries have a habit of using journalists to gather intelligence. Gershkovich, in particular, is accused of gathering information for the CIA. Lavrov also insisted that Russia is “in favor of journalism and freedom of speech,” ignoring the years of history it has spent prosecuting its own citizens for dissent.
The foreign minister said that the government is in talks with Washington for a potential prisoner swap, but it is taking so long because the American media is paying so much attention to the case. Lavrov insisted that “this topic needs to be discussed calmly, confidentially,” and said that being “constantly introduced into the public space by American journalists,” is only hindering the process.
On Friday, July 19, a Russian court sentenced Gershkovich, as expected, to 16 years in prison, abruptly ending his trial weeks early. Only two hearings were held before he was found guilty and the court didn’t allow any observers inside during the proceedings.
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