Russian court jails US reporter Gershkovich for 16 years after convicting him of espionage, state media says

FILE PHOTO: Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who stands trial on spying charges, is seen inside an enclosure for defendants before a court hearing in Yekaterinburg, Russia June 26, 2024. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina/File Photo

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian court on Friday found U.S. reporter Evan Gershkovich guilty of espionage and jailed him for 16 years, state news agency RIA said, in a case that his employer, the Wall Street Journal, has called a sham.

Gershkovich, a 32-year-old American who denied any wrongdoing and said the allegations against him were false, went on trial last month in the city of Yekaterinburg.