Russia puts Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on trial for espionage

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich went on trial behind closed doors in Yekaterinburg on Wednesday, 15 months after his arrest in the Russian city on espionage charges that he, his employer and the U.S. government vehemently deny.

The 32-year-old journalist appeared in court in a glass defendant's cage, his head shaved since his last court appearance, while wearing a black-and-blue plaid shirt. Journalists were allowed into the courtroom for a few minutes before the proceedings were closed.

The next hearing for Gershkovich was set for Aug. 13, court officials said.

Jay Conti, executive vice-president and general counsel for Dow Jones, publisher of the Journal, described the trial as a sham in an interview with The Associated Press.

"He was an accredited journalist doing journalism, and this is a sham trial, bogus charges that are completely trumped up," Conti said.

WATCH l Danielle Gershkovich speaks to CBC News in March about the strength of her 'little brother':

Danielle Gershkovich, whose brother Evan remains detained in Russia one year after his arrest, says her family takes inspiration from his continued resilience. 'Whatever we're going through, Evan is going through something so much harder,' she told CBC's Rosemary Barton.

Accused of spying on 'secret' military affairs

The American-born son of immigrants from the USSR, Gershkovich was arrested on March 29, 2023, and is the first Western journalist arrested on espionage charges in post-Soviet Russia.

Gershkovich faces up to 20 years in prison if the court finds him guilty, which is almost certain. Russian courts convict more than 99 per cent of the defendants who come before them, and prosecutors can appeal sentences that they regard as too lenient, and they even can appeal acquittals.

With Gershkovich's trial being closed, few details of his case may become public. But the Russian Prosecutor General's office repeated an allegation Wednesday from earlier this month that the reporter is accused of "gathering secret information" on orders from the CIA about Uralvagonzavod, a plant about 150 kilometres north of Yekaterinburg that produces and repairs tanks and other military equipment.

The U.S. Embassy in Russia said Wednesday in a statement that prosecutors still haven't produced any evidence to support the allegations.

"Russian authorities have failed to provide any evidence supporting the charges against him, failed to justify his continued detention and failed to explain why Evan's work as a journalist constitutes a crime," the statement read.

Gershkovich's arrest came about a year after Russian President Vladimir Putin pushed through laws that chilled journalists, criminalizing criticism of what the Kremlin calls a "special military operation" in Ukraine and statements seen as discrediting the military.

Kremlin rejects Trump's claim

Gershkovich's case became an issue in the presidential race when Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee again this year, said in May that he could easily get the journalist freed.

Putin "will do that for me, but not for anyone else," said Trump, who received criticism even from some Republicans during his 2017-2021 term as president for praising the Russian leader and appearing to believe his claims over Washington intelligence agencies.

The Kremlin, however, says it has not been in touch with Trump, and Putin's spokesperson Dmitry Pekov bristled at the attention given to a possible exchange, saying "these contacts must be carried out in total secrecy."