The prosecutor demanded an 18-year prison sentence in a maximum security prison.
A Russian court has sentenced a correspondent of The Wall Street Journal to 16 years in prison For Evan Gershkovich.
State prosecutor demanded 18 years in maximum security prison, Russian opposition newspaper Medusa reported on Friday.
Gershkovich has been imprisoned in Russia for over a year. He was arrested in the spring of 2023, when he was on a business trip sent by his employer in Yekaterenburg.
Earlier in June, the journalist was accused of spying for a foreign power. According to the prosecutor, Gershkovich used covert means to obtain information about a factory producing battle tanks for the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
According to the United States, the charges are fabricated.
The United States has demanded Gershkovich’s release
The US administration and journalists around the world have repeatedly called for Gershkovich’s release.
This week, the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed that Russia is in talks with the US about a possible prisoner exchange.
It is the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union that an American journalist has been convicted of espionage in Russia.
Sources: AP, AFP