Russian Court Sets Secret Trial Date for Detained Wall Street Journal Reporter Evan Gershkovich

Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, is set to stand trial on espionage charges in Yekaterinburg, Russia. The trial is scheduled to begin on June 26 behind closed doors at the Sverdlovsk Regional Court. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison. Russian prosecutors claim that Gershkovich collected secret information on a tank factory while on a reporting trip in March 2023. This arrest marks the first time a Western journalist has been accused of spying in Russia since the Soviet era.