On 19 July 2024 US journalist Evan Gershkovich, born on 26 October 1991, has been sentenced to 16 years in a Russian in a security penal colony,on charges of espionage, following accusations from Russian authorities that he was collecting confidential information for the United Stated (U.S.) government. Russian prosecutors accused him of working for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Gershkovich, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal (https://www.wsj.com/), has consistently denied these allegations, which have been widely condemned as unfounded and politically motivated by his employer and the U.S. government.
Gershkovich was detained on 29 March 2023, while reporting in Yekaterinburg (Екатеринбург), Russia. Since his arrest, he has spent nearly 16 months in a Moscow (Москва), Russia, prison. Despite his and his employer’s insistence on his innocence, the Russian court found him guilty in a trial, conducted with little transparency. Unlike earlier court appearances where journalists could briefly see Gershkovich, access was completely barred during the recent proceedings.
The prosecutor in the case sought an 18-year sentence, close to the maximum penalty for espionage under Russian law, which is often criticized for its vague definitions and susceptibility to misuse for political ends. Gershkovich’s legal team now has 15 days to file an appeal.
The Wall Street Journal condemned the verdict, describing it as “shameful and false,” and reiterated their call for Gershkovich’s immediate release, emphasizing that journalism is not a crime.
You can read the Wall Street Journal article here: https://www.wsj.com/world/russia/evan-gershkovich-russia-trial-dbabd6e3
High-level allegedly discussions between the U.S. and Russia about a potential prisoner exchange, which might include Gershkovich, have been ongoing. Russian Foreign Minister confirmed that these negotiations are taking place.
Gershkovich’s conviction is the first of its kind against an American journalist in Russia since the Cold War and signals a severe crackdown on press freedom. The U.S. government has declared his detention unlawful and continues to advocate for his release. Various international organisations and bodies have expressed their support for Gershkovich.
In a parallel development, the American-Russian journalist Alsu Kurmasheva (Алсу Курмашева) has been detained in Russia for nearly nine months on charges related to failing to register as a foreign agent, further highlighting the escalating tensions and risks faced by journalists in Russia.
The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) strongly condemns the unjust sentencing of Evan Gershkovich to 16 years in prison on baseless charges of espionage by Russian authorities. This politically motivated case represents a blatant attack on press freedom and an alarming precedent for the treatment of journalists. SEEMO calls for Evan’s immediate release and urge the international community to stand against such blatant violations of human rights and journalistic independence. Journalism is not a crime, and those who report the truth should not be persecuted for their work.
You can read previous SEEMO articles about Evan Gershkovich and also Alsu Kurmasheva case here: https://seemo.org/ressources/29-06-2024-russia-evan-gershkovichs-espionage-trial-no-accreditation-for-schneider-from-orf-and-eu-media-ban/ ; https://seemo.org/ressources/23-10-2023-russian-authorities-detain-journalist-alsu-kurmasheva/
The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) is a regional non-governmental, non profit network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in Southeast, South, East and Central Europe. SEEMO members are in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova (with the territory of Transdnestria), Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Türkiye / Turkey, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Austria, Italy, Vatican and San Marino have a special status in SEEMO. SEEMO has over 3000 individual members, and additional media as corporate members.
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