(NEW YORK, NY) — A Russian court has sentenced Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich to 16 years in prison in a high-security penal colony on charges of espionage. In response, PEN America called for Gershkovich’s immediate and unconditional release and urged the international community to hold the Russian government accountable for violations of freedom of expression.

“We condemn the cruel and outrageous 16-year prison sentence for Evan Gershkovich, based completely on unfounded and manufactured espionage charges,” said Suzanne Nossel, CEO at PEN America. “In this sham trial, the Russian court punished Gershkovich for the crime of journalism, using him as a pawn and showing flagrant disregard for not just his rights but for all those who depend on credible journalism as a source of vital information. We will continue to advocate for Gershkovich’s immediate and unconditional release and for the release of all journalists, writers, and artists similarly persecuted by the Russian government. And we strongly urge the international community to do whatever it can to help Gershkovich and protect free speech and press freedom in Russia, a basic human right and bedrock of a healthy society.”

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was detained in March 2023 in Yekaterinburg during a reporting trip and arrested on espionage charges. The Russian government released an indictment last month, the first time it had shared details about Gershkovich’s case, but it did not provide evidence to substantiate the charge. Gershkovich worked as a Moscow-based reporter for the Moscow Times and Agence France Presse before moving to the Wall Street Journal in early 2022. 

The Committee to Protect Journalists recorded 22 journalists jailed in Russia at the end of 2023. According to PEN America’s 2023 Freedom to Write Index, Russia ranks as the world’s sixth-largest jailer of writers (tied with Belarus), with 16 writers behind bars.

At its Literary Gala earlier this year, PEN America conferred the 2024 Business Visionary Award upon Almar Latour, Dow Jones CEO and Wall Street Journal Publisher, for his dedication to a free press and unyielding efforts to free Evan Gershkovich from Russian detention. 

About PEN America

PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect open expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write and recognize the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at PEN.org.

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