The trial of American journalist Evan Gershkovich, accused of gathering information about a Russian tank factory on behalf of the CIA, will begin on June 26 in Yekaterinburg, Urals, the court in charge of the case said.
The trial of the 32-year-old Wall Street Journal (WSJ) journalist, who was arrested in March 2023, will be held behind closed doors, AFP reported.
The first hearing is scheduled for June 26, 2024," the Sverdlovsk Regional Court said in a statement.
The journalist, who worked for AFP in Moscow between 2020 and 2021, is accused of "espionage", a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
He, his family, his employer and his country categorically reject these allegations, which Russia has never confirmed, and call the case a fabrication.
The prosecutor's office accuses Evan Gershkovich of "collecting secret information" about the Uralvagonzavod company on behalf of the CIA, the US intelligence agency.
Uralvagonzavod is one of Russia's largest arms manufacturers, producing in particular the T-90 battle tanks used in Ukraine and the new-generation Armata tank, as well as freight wagons.
Russia has never publicly provided any evidence, and the entire procedure has been classified as secret.
The seriousness of these accusations is unprecedented for a foreign journalist since the time of the USSR. | BGNES
