3 Jailed Russian journalist Evan Gershkovich has appeared in court for the first time this week Credit: EPAThe Wall Street Journal’s Moscow correspondent, Evan Gershkovich, now awaiting trial for espionage, knows the country very well. The fact is, Evan Gershkovich may have been picked up for a rather different reason. At present there are two American hostages in Russia: Evan Gershkovich and former US Marine Paul Whelan, who has been held for four years without being exchanged. Western journalists are spies if the Kremlin says they are, and the penalty can be up to 20 years in prison. Until the arrest of Evan Gershkovich it was as though the Russian government was happy to have a few Western correspondents on hand.

Source: Wall Street Journal April 22, 2023 12:42 UTC