Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich's conviction in an espionage case in Russia sparked outrage on Friday.
Gershkovich was sentenced to 16 years in prison in connection to the charges, which have been denied by Gershkovich and WSJ. The Associated Press described the trial as "secretive and rapid." U.S. Officials have criticized the charges as a sham.
The conviction was met with condemnation from journalists, Russian critics and U.S. lawmakers. Critics took to social media platform X, formerly Twitter, to speak out against it.
"Disgraceful. Russia continues to be a pariah," posted Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, policy director for the American Immigration Council.
CNN Anchor Abby Phillip posted, "Devastating news this morning about Evan Gershkovich. He should be free today. I'm thinking about his family and colleagues at the WSJ. Journalism is not a crime."
Henry Foy, the Financial Times Brussels Bureau Chief, wrote, "A despicable disgrace. Russia has sentenced Evan Gershkovich, a brilliant journalist, to 16 years in prison on ridiculous sham charges with no public evidence."
Trey Yingst, a Fox News foreign correspondent, posted, "A ridiculous, sham process that wrongly convicted an innocent American reporter. I stand with Evan today and always. We will not stop speaking out until he is free."
"A sham trial and a sham conviction - what a travesty of justice. Russia is unjustly holding Evan Gershkovich hostage. He must be immediately returned to the US," posted Representative Brad Schneider, an Illinois Democrat.
Dow Jones CEO and WSJ Publisher Almar Latour and Wall Street Journal Editor in Chief Emma Tucker described the conviction as "disgraceful" and a "sham."
"We will continue to do everything possible to press for Evan's release and to support his family. Journalist is not a crime, and we will not rest until he's released. Tis must end now," the statement reads.
Gershkovich was arrested March 29, 2023, while on a reporting trip to the city of Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains.
Russian authorities claimed he was gathering secret information for the U.S., but that claim has been rejected by the U.S. Critics viewed the charges as politically motivated as relations between Washington and Moscow remain tense amid the Russia-Ukraine war.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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