Russia seeks 18-year sentence for WSJ's Gershkovich on espionage charges

Russian prosecutors sought a prison sentence of 18 years on Friday for Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who is on trial on espionage charges that he, his employer and the US vehemently deny.

Court officials said the prosecutors made the request during closing arguments in a closed-door court session in Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains.

US officials and The Wall Street Journal have denounced the secretive and rapid trial in the country's highly politicized legal system as a sham and illegitimate.

Gershkovich, 32, was detained in March 2023 while on a reporting trip to Yekaterinburg and accused of spying for the US. He has been behind bars ever since.