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A Russian Court has sentenced Wall Street Journal correspondent Evan Gershkovich to 16 years in a Russian prison colony. The 32-year-old was stone-faced as he stood in a glass cage in a Russian courtroom listening to the verdict. The reporter was found guilty of spying - a charge The Wall Street Journal denies. The paper described the brief trial as a sham. NPR's Jackie Northam reports.
JACKIE NORTHAM, BYLINE: Evan Gershkovich was arrested in March last year while on a reporting trip in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg. Russian authorities say he was caught red-handed and charged with spying. Jason Conti, general counsel for The Wall Street Journal, said Russia never made any evidence public, and Gershkovich's trial was held behind closed doors.
JASON CONTI: I don't need to have insight into the trial to know that they don't have any evidence that Evan is a spy. It's completely bogus, totally ginned up and complete and utter nonsense. Evan is a journalist.
NORTHAM: After the verdict, President Biden said there is no question Gershkovich is being wrongfully detained. U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Linda Thomas-Greenfield, opened her remarks to the U.N. Security Council today with a comment about Gershkovich.
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LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD: He has committed no crime. He's being punished because he's a journalist and he's an American - simple as that.
NORTHAM: The Wall Street Journal's Conti said a guilty verdict for Gershkovich was always expected. The conviction rate in Russia for these kinds of cases is over 99%. But it was the speed of the trial that has caught people's attention and led to speculation that Russia may be open to doing a swap. Conti again.
CONTI: There's a number of years of history of Russia taking individuals to use as leverage to swap for Russians who have been incarcerated in various locations.
NORTHAM: Most recently, WNBA star Brittney Griner was released from a Russian prison in exchange for a notorious arms dealer, Viktor Bout, who was serving 25 years in a U.S. prison on terrorism charges. Russian President Vladimir Putin, in the past, suggested that Gershkovich could be exchanged for Vadim Krasikov, a Russian assassin serving a life sentence in Germany. Earlier this week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, speaking through an interpreter, indicated talks were ongoing.
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SERGEY LAVROV: (Through interpreter) The intelligence services of two countries, based on the agreement of President Putin and President Biden, have been involved in contacts looking into the possibility of an exchange.
NORTHAM: Lavrov said the topic needs to be discussed calmly, confidentially and out of the glare of American media. On Thursday, former President Donald Trump weighed in, saying Gershkovich would be released, adding Putin would, quote, "do that for me but not for anyone else." At the Aspen Forum earlier today, NPR's Mary Louise Kelly asked Secretary of State Antony Blinken if Putin was waiting for Trump to be president before releasing Gershkovich.
ANTONY BLINKEN: Any effort to bring any American home is going to be part of a process of negotiation, and I don't think that's dependent on an election in the United States or anywhere else.
NORTHAM: The Wall Street Journal's Conti says the newspaper and Gershkovich's family remain hopeful there'll be an exchange soon.
CONTI: But every day is a day too long. He's got to get out, and he's got to get out now. It's been way too long for Evan being in prison.
NORTHAM: Way too long, says Conti, for just being a journalist. Jackie Northam, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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