Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who is on trial on spying charges, smiles inside an enclosure for defendants before a court hearing in Yekaterinburg, Russia.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov blamed American journalists on July 18 for delaying talks between his U.S. counterparts about a possible prisoner exchange involving imprisoned Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.

A day before Mr. Gershkovich is scheduled to appear in court on espionage charges, Mr. Lavrov told a U.N. news conference that confidential negotiations are still “ongoing.” Mr. Gershkovich, the Journal and the U.S. vehemently deny the allegations against him and denounced the trial as a sham and illegitimate.

On March 29, 2023, Mr. Gershkovich was arrested while on a reporting trip in Yekaterinburg, a city in the Ural Mountains. He is being charged with espionage, but Russian authorities have not offered any evidence that he was gathering secret information for the United States.

If convicted, he will face up to 20 years in prison, although Russia has indicated that they are open to a prisoner swap after a verdict.

Russian courts convict more than 99% of defendants. Prosecutors can appeal sentences that they consider to be too lenient, and they even can appeal acquittals.