WSJ Reporter Detained in Russia for a Year Without Trial, Accused of Espionage Amid Press Crackdown
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Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, has been detained in Russia for a year on espionage charges without trial. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
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Gershkovich is the first foreign reporter accused of spying in Russia since the Cold War. His detention fits into Russia's crackdown on press freedoms.
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Russia has a history of using detained Americans as political bargaining chips. Gershkovich was possibly part of a proposed swap for a convicted Russian assassin.
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The Kremlin has accused Gershkovich of spying and collecting state secrets, but has shown no evidence. His family, employer, and the U.S. deny the allegations.
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Gershkovich's pre-trial detention was recently extended despite appeals. Access to his lawyer has been denied, with over a dozen secret hearings held.