A Russian court on Friday sentenced American journalist Evan Gershokovich to 16 years in prison. Gershokovich was arrested last year in the city of Yekaterinburg and accused of espionage. He faces a sentence of up to 20 years.

Gershkovich, who was arrested in March 2023 in Yekaterinburg, capital of the Urals, is the First American reporter prosecuted for espionage since Cold War.

Judge Andrei Miniv has indicated that the reporter He will have to serve his sentence in a maximum security colonywithin the framework of the third day of hearings against Gershkovich, against whom the prosecution requested a sentence of 18 years in prison, according to the Russian news agency Interfax.

The United States has denounced the “illegal detention” of the journalist, who works for the American newspaper ‘The Wall Street Journal’, although the Prosecutor’s Office recently approved the indictment claiming that he collected information on a Russian defense contractor on behalf of the American intelligence services.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in February that Gershkovich could be released, provided that he saw “reciprocal steps” taken by the US authorities. The Kremlin then confirmed that it had made “contacts” with the United States regarding a possible prisoner exchange that would include the journalist.

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