American journalist Evan Gershkovich has been sentenced to 16 years in prison by a Russian court after being found guilty of espionage. The Wall Street Journal, his employer, has condemned the trial as a sham. Gershkovich, 32, denied any wrongdoing during the trial in Yekaterinburg, which took place 15 months after his arrest. The state prosecutor had initially requested an 18-year prison sentence for Gershkovich. Jay Conti, executive vice president and general counsel for Dow Jones, described the trial as based on bogus charges and completely trumped up. The U.S. government has also criticized the charges against Gershkovich, saying he was wrongfully detained. The case is still developing, and updates will be provided as they become available.
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