Foreign minister says Russia has 'irrefutable evidence' journalist Evan Gershkovich is a spy

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich stands in a glass cage in a courtroom in Yekaterinburg, Russia, June 26, 2024. (AP Photo, File)

UNITED NATIONS — Russia's foreign minister said Wednesday that Russia has "irrefutable evidence" that imprisoned Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich is guilty of espionage, one day before Gershkovich is scheduled to appear in court.

Sergey Lavrov blamed American journalists for helping delay U.S.-Russia talks regarding a possible prisoner exchange by publicizing the confidential negotiations, which he said are still "ongoing."

Lavrov told a U.N. news conference that Gershkovich's case has "nothing to do with any attacks on journalism."

"I would like to assure you that, just as much as you do, we are in favor of journalism and freedom of speech," Lavrov said in answer to a reporter's question.

On March 29, 2023, Gershkovich was arrested while on a reporting trip in Yekaterinburg, a city in the Ural Mountains. Russian authorities did not offer any evidence that he was gathering secret information for the United States.

Last month, the Russian Prosecutor General's office accused Gershkovich of "gathering secret information" on orders from the CIA about a military equipment plant 150 kilometres (90 miles) north of Yekaterinburg. The plant has been considered a pro-Kremlin symbol since one of its managers publicly denounced Moscow's anti-government protests in 2011-12.

Gershkovich, the Journal and the U.S. deny that he was a spy.

Lavrov said the U.S. and U.K. have long recruited journalists as spies and referenced a recent Telegram post by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova about the memoirs of a British journalist who spied on revolutionary Russia in 1917.

"The use of journalists for intelligence gathering purposes, at least in the Anglo-Saxon world, is a tradition," Lavrov said.

Lavrov contrasted strong U.S. reaction protesting Gershkovich's detention to his government's reaction to the expulsion of Russian journalists from Western countries.

"When our journalists started to be chased away, when our media outlets were shut down, first we preferred not to respond," Lavrov said, adding the West then "went too far."

Lavrov did not clarify what actions qualified as too far but indicated Russia has retaliated.

"It went to some hideous, terrible steps, absolutely reckless steps, and we've been obliged to respond an eye for an eye," he said.

Gershkovich is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday for the second hearing in his trial. If he is convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison, though Russia has indicated it is open to a prisoner swap after a verdict.

Russian courts convict more than 99 per cent of defendants. Prosecutors can appeal sentences that they consider too lenient, and they even can appeal acquittals.