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The photo is of Ivan Gershkovich, a journalist for the American newspaper Wall Street Journal.
American journalist Ivan Gershkovich, who was imprisoned in a Russian jail for 479 days, has been sentenced to 16 years in prison. The Russian court has convicted Ivan in the espionage case. According to the court document, Ivan is an agent of the American intelligence agency CIA, who was caught spying on a military tank factory in the Ural city of Russia.
According to news agency AFP, Ivan was first locked in a room for 3 days in the Ural city of Yekaterinburg. After this he was produced before the court. Ivan was arrested in March 2023 while reporting in the Urals. He is a journalist for the American newspaper Wall Street Journal. This is the first time since the end of the Cold War 30 years ago that an American journalist has been sentenced in Russia.
US President Joe Biden has expressed surprise at the court’s decision. He said that Ivan was targeted because he is an American citizen. Earlier, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) had alleged that Ivan had collected information about Russia’s military industrial complex at the behest of the US.
Russia arrested Gershkovitch in March last year on charges of espionage.
‘We will continue to make every effort to secure Ivan’s release’
The White House said the US would continue to do everything possible to secure Ivan’s release. Russian and US officials say they are also in talks to swap prisoners.
At the same time, Russian President Vladimir Putin is demanding the release of Vadim Krasikov, who works for his security service FSB, in exchange for Ivan. Krasikov is currently imprisoned in a German jail. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2019 for the murder of elected Chechen commander Zelimkhan.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called Ivan’s arrest a serious crime. He said that this shows that the media is suppressed in Russia. At the same time, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that this case is politically motivated and shows Putin’s fear.
Who is American journalist Ivan Gershkovitch?
Ivan Gershkovitch worked for the American newspaper Wall Street Journal. He was based in Moscow covering the Ukraine war and Russia’s private military Wagner Group. His last report was on Russia’s economy being destroyed by the war.
Earlier, Ivan had also worked for news agency AFP, The Moscow Times and The New York Times. Apart from this, American journalist Alsou Kurmasheva and ballerina Ksenia Karelina have been arrested in a Russian jail. Both of them have American-Russian citizenship.
Also, American citizen Marine Paul Whelan has been sentenced to 16 years in prison on charges of espionage. Biden has called Whelan’s arrest illegal and said that the release and safe return of Americans is our priority.
The picture shows Vedim Krasikov (right), who worked for the FCB Security Service. He was convicted of murder in Germany and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Russia frees ‘merchant of death’ in exchange for American player
Earlier, Russia had freed a man named Viktor Bout from the custody of America. According to BBC, he is an arms dealer who is known as the ‘merchant of death’. Russia had released American basketball player Britney Griner in exchange for Viktor. After being freed, Viktor Bout entered Russian politics and also won the regional elections.
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