Russia sentences journalist Evan Gershkovich to 16 years in prison on espionage charges

A Russian court has handed down its sentence for Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich after over a year of proceedings. 

The court found Gershkovich, 32, guilty of "gathering secret information" while reporting on a trip to the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg. 

He has been sentenced to 16 years in prison. 

WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORTER EVAN GERSHKOVICH SEEN AT SECOND RUSSIA HEARING ON BOGUS ESPIONAGE CHARGES

Prosecutors claimed Gershkovich gathered secret information on orders from the CIA about Uralvagonzavod, a plant about 90 miles north of Yekaterinburg that produces and repairs tanks and other military equipment.

The U.S. government classifies Gershkovich as "wrongfully detained," and is seeking his immediate release through diplomatic channels. He has also personally denied all charges, along with The Wall Street Journal.

"Evan’s wrongful detention has been an outrage since his unjust arrest 477 days ago, and it must end now," The Wall Street Journal said Thursday in a statement. 

UNITED NATIONS PANEL CONDEMNS RUSSIA FOR 'INHUMANE' TREATMENT OF EVAN GERSHKOVICH, CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

It continued, "Even as Russia orchestrates its shameful sham trial, we continue to do everything we can to push for Evan’s immediate release and to state unequivocally: Evan was doing his job as a journalist, and journalism is not a crime. Bring him home now."

Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously alluded to swapping the reporter for Vadim Krasikov, a Russian national jailed in 2019 for killing a Georgian citizen living in Berlin who had fought against Russian forces in Chechnya. 

Judges said Krasikov was acting on the instructions of Russian authorities.

Gershkovich is the first known Western journalist to be arrested on espionage charges in post-Soviet Russia and faces up to 20 years in prison. He is being held in Moscow's Lefortovo prison.

Fox News Digital's Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.