MOSCOW: The trial of a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) journalist arrested in Russia on espionage charges will begin on June 26 in the city of Yekaterinburg, the Sverdlovsk region court said on Monday.
The hearing in the criminal case against US citizen Evan Gershkovich will be closed to the public, Anadolu Agency reported.
“The Sverdlovsk Regional Court received a criminal case against a United States (US) citizen Evan Gershkovich. … The process will take place in closed mode. The first court hearing is scheduled for June 26. Judge Andrey Mineev will consider the case,“ the press release said.
Gershkovich was detained in Russia in March 2023 on charges of espionage.
The Federal Security Service accused him of collecting state secrets about the military-industrial complex.
Gershkovich and the WSJ have denied the claims, insisting he was simply doing his job as a journalist.
