The US shows concern at the announcement that the trial of journalist Evan Gershkovich will be behind closed doors

June 18 () –

The United States Government has expressed concern this Monday at the announcement by the Yekaterinburg Regional Court (Russia) that the trial against journalist Evan Gershkovich, who works for the newspaper ‘The Wall Street Journal’ and who has been accused of having spied for the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) on the activities of a Russian military company, started on June 26 “behind closed doors.”

“We are certainly concerned. We are going to try to attend the trial, as we try to attend the trial of any American citizen detained in Russia. I don’t know if that will be possible,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said at a press conference. in which he stressed that they have had consular access “on occasions” with the reporter.

However, he has acknowledged that at the moment he cannot say whether it will be possible for them to be present at the first hearing: “It will be a high priority for us to be there, because the safety of American citizens is our top priority. Ultimately, we will try to bring him home,” he said.

During the day, the Kremlin confirmed the existence of “contacts” with the United States regarding a possible exchange of prisoners that includes Gershkovich, detained at the end of March 2023 and who became the first American journalist detained in Russia since the end of the Cold War.

Putin himself assured in February in an interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson that there was a possibility of releasing Gershkovich, as long as he observed “reciprocal steps” by the American authorities. Washington and Moscow have agreed to several prisoner swaps in the past.

The spokesman for US diplomacy has taken the opportunity to recall that among its objectives is also the release of Paul Whelan, a former marine sentenced to 16 years in prison in Russia on espionage charges.

Whelan, who has American, Irish and Canadian nationality, as well as British, was arrested in December 2018 in a Moscow hotel by agents of the Federal Security Service (FSB) and, according to Russian Intelligence, a device was found on him. external memory that contained classified information.