Russia court convicts US reporter Evan Gershkovich of espionage

A Russian court on Friday convicted Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on espionage charges.

Gershkovich was sentenced to 16 years in prison after a secretive and rapid trial, according to the Associated Press.

The newspaper and the U.S. have rejected the charges and considered the trial a sham. 

The 32-year-old Gershkovich was detained in March 2023 while on a reporting trip to the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg and accused of spying for the U.S., the wire service also reports.