Russian court schedules espionage trial for US reporter to begin on June 26
- A Russian court has set a date for the espionage trial of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich to commence on June 26.
- The trial will be conducted behind closed doors in Russia.
- Tension between the United States and Russia is anticipated to rise due to this high-profile case.
The trial of a US reporter charged with espionage in Russia is set to begin on June 26 in the Sverdlovsky Regional Court in Yekaterinburg. The reporter, Evan Gershkovich, has been accused of gathering secret information on orders from the CIA about a military equipment facility in Russia. Gershkovich, who is fluent in Russian, was working for The Moscow Times before being hired by The Wall Street Journal. The trial will be closed to the public, as is typical in espionage cases. The Biden administration has been trying to negotiate Gershkovich's release, but Russia has stated that they will only consider a prisoner swap after a trial verdict. Putin has hinted at the possibility of a swap involving Gershkovich and a Russian national imprisoned in Germany. Gershkovich is the first U.S. journalist to be detained on espionage charges since 1986.