Evan Gershkovich: Determined US Reporter Jailed In Russia

Moscow, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Mar, 2024) Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter who has spent a year behind bars in Russia, is awaiting a trial on espionage charges the White House says are fabricated but could still see him jailed for decades.

The US-born son of Soviet emigres covered Russia for six years, including a stint with AFP, as the Kremlin made independent, on-the-ground reporting increasingly dangerous and illegal.

His arrest in March 2023 on charges of spying -- the first such charge against a Western journalist since the Soviet era -- showed that the Kremlin was prepared to go further than ever before in what President Vladimir Putin has called a "hybrid war" with the West.

The Wall Street Journal and the White House vehemently deny Russia's accusation, which they see as a false pretext to secure the release of Russians in custody in the US.

President Vladimir Putin said last month he would like to see Gershkovich released as part of a prisoner exchange, but cautioned certain "terms" were being discussed.

The 32-year-old, who has been remanded in custody until at least the end of June, faces up to 20 years in prison if found guilty.