American journalist Evan Gershkovich, arrested in Russia last week, was formally charged with “espionage” on Friday April 7, a charge he “categorically” denies, Russian news agencies reported. This notification paves the way for a trial, the date of which has not yet been announced.
According to Interfax, Mr. Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal correspondent who also worked for Agence France-Presse in the past, is being prosecuted under Article 276 of the Russian criminal code, a charge punishable by twenty years. from prison.
Authorities have “accused Gershkovich of spying for his country. He categorically denied all charges and said his activities in Russia were journalistic,” TASS reported, citing an unnamed security force source.
Money change
The reporter was arrested last week by the Russian security service (FSB) while reporting from Yekaterinburg, in the Urals. Authorities accused him of gathering information on the defense industry, among other things. The United States and the Wall Street Journal rejected the espionage charges and called on the Kremlin to release the 31-year-old journalist, a US citizen of Russian origin.
The arrest of the latter is part of the hardening of the repression against the press in Russia since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine, which has greatly strained relations between Moscow and Washington.
It also follows a December prisoner swap between American basketball star Brittney Griner, who was in Russian custody, and Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, a prisoner in the United States. Washington has repeatedly accused Moscow of arbitrarily arresting Americans to use them as bargaining chips and recover Russians detained in the United States.