If Russia Has Real Case Against WSJ Reporter, Why Hold the Trial in Secret?
A court in Russia on Monday announced that the espionage trial of a detained American journalist will take place in secret, a court said.
Evan Gershkovich, a reporter with The Wall Street Journal, will be tried in closed-door hearings beginning on June 26, the Sverdlovsk Regional Court in Yekaterinburg said. The 32-year-old was arrested in Yekaterinburg in March 2023 and accused of spying—allegations vehemently denied by both the Journal and the Biden administration, which considers Gershkovich wrongfully detained.
Russia’s FSB security service claims Gershkovich was acting on the instructions of the CIA when he tried to obtain secrets about Uralvagonzavod, a Russian defense company which manufactures tanks, according to Reuters. The court said Russia’s investigative authorities allege Gershkovich collected information about “the production and repair of military equipment.”