Courtroom anticipated to subject verdict in espionage trial of The Wall Avenue Journal reporter on Friday.
A Russian prosecutor is looking for an 18-year sentence for American journalist Evan Gershkovich who has been charged with espionage.
The court docket mentioned a verdict is anticipated to be issued on Friday at 12:00 GMT.
The 32-year-old correspondent for The Wall Avenue Journal newspaper is the primary Western journalist in Russia to be arrested on espionage prices in post-Soviet Russia.
Gershkovich is accused by prosecutors of gathering secret details about Uralvagonzavod, a plant manufacturing tanks for Russia’s battle in Ukraine, on the orders of the CIA.
The reporter, his employer and the US authorities deny the allegations, saying he was simply doing his job, with accreditation from Russia’s Ministry of International Affairs.
The Kremlin has supplied no public proof for the spying allegations towards him, saying solely that he was caught “red-handed” spying on a tank manufacturing facility.
He was detained in March 2023 on a reporting journey to the Urals metropolis of Yekaterinburg after which spent virtually 16 months in Moscow’s infamous Lefortovo jail.
The most recent closed-door listening to began at about 10:45am (05:45 GMT) at Sverdlovsk Regional Courtroom in Yekaterinburg, with the prosecution and defence groups making their remaining arguments.
Closed-trials are normal in Russia for circumstances of treason or espionage involving labeled materials.
Gershkovich’s trial has moved quickly because the first listening to in late June, with the prosecution and defence groups giving their remaining arguments on Friday.
Different related circumstances in Russia have dragged on way more slowly with a number of weeks and even months between hearings.
‘Bargaining chip’
Tensions are operating extraordinarily excessive between the US, Gershkovich’s beginning nation, and Russia, the nation of origin of his dad and mom, over Moscow’s position within the navy invasion in Ukraine.
For Washington, his arrest was primarily a “bargaining chip” for Russia to safe the discharge of its nationals convicted overseas.
Russia often concludes authorized proceedings towards foreigners earlier than making any offers on exchanging them for Russians held overseas.
Moscow and Washington have each mentioned they’re open to exchanging the reporter in a deal, however neither has given clues on when which may occur.
Russian International Minister Sergei Lavrov mentioned on Wednesday that talks between US and Russian particular providers over potential prisoner exchanges had been ongoing, with out naming any particular people.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has implied he desires to see the discharge of Vadim Krasikov, a Russian convicted in Germany of killing a Chechen separatist commander. German judges mentioned it was an assassination orchestrated by Russian authorities.
Amongst different US nationals detained in Russia are reporter Alsu Kurmasheva and ballerina Ksenia Karelina, who’re each twin US-Russian residents, and former US marine Paul Whelan, who’s serving a 16-year sentence for spying.
On Thursday, a Moscow court docket sentenced former US paratrooper Michael Travis Leake to 13 years in jail on prices of drug dealing.
A UN working group this month said that Gershkovich’s detention on spying prices was “arbitrary” and referred to as for his quick launch.
Whereas in jail, he has communicated with family and friends in hand-written letters that exposed he has stored a way of humour and never misplaced hope about his state of affairs.
At his first trial listening to on June 26, he spoke briefly to greet journalists and appeared smiling and cheerful, whereas revealing that his head had been absolutely shaven.
