Wall Street Journal editor predicts 'bogus' Gershkovich conviction as trial opens

Wall Street Journal editor-in-chief Emma Tucker predicted reporter Evan Gershkovich’s trial will end in a “bogus” conviction, as court proceedings begin this week after 15 months of pretrial detention in Moscow.

“To even call it a trial,” Tucker wrote Tuesday in a letter from the editor, “is unfair to Evan and a continuation of this travesty of justice that already has gone on for far too long.”

Gershkovich, a 32-year-old staff reporter at the Journal, was on assignment in Russia as an accredited journalist when he was seized by the country's security services and accused of espionage. The news outlet and U.S. government continue to vehemently deny the charges, which they attribute largely to the Kremlin's crackdown on independent journalism.

“When his case comes before a judge this week, it will not be a trial as we understand it, with a presumption of innocence and a search for the truth,” Tucker wrote.

“Rather, it will be held in secret. No evidence has been unveiled. And we already know the conclusion: This bogus accusation of espionage will inevitably lead to a bogus conviction for an innocent man who would then face up to 20 years in prison for simply doing his job," she added. "And an excellent job he was doing, at that."

Tucker, in her letter, advised news organizations to report responsibly on the proceedings and cautioned against repeating “baseless allegations that we know categorically to be untrue” that “amplify the slander against Evan.”

The editor pledged to continue to keep fighting for Gershkovich’s release and said U.S. officials will not slow down efforts to bring the reporter home, citing Roger Carstens, the top U.S. hostage diplomat.

“We hope very much that means Evan and other U.S. detainees in Russia will return home soon. It cannot be soon enough,” she wrote.

The trial began Wednesday in Yekaterinburg, and the hearing lasted two hours, The Associated Press reported, adding that Gershkovich appeared in court in a glass defendants’ cage, with a shaved head and plaid shirt.

Journalists were allowed in the courtroom for just a few minutes before proceedings closed, as were two consular officers from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, per the AP, citing the U.S. embassy.

The Journal has maintained pressure to bring Gershkovich home. Russia has not ruled out a prisoner exchange but has said it’s not possible before a verdict in the case, which is almost certain to end in conviction. The conviction rate in Russian courts is higher than 99 percent, the AP reported.

Former President Trump has sought to make Gershkovich’s detention an issue in the 2024 presidential race. He has claimed, without providing any detail or evidence, that he would be able to free Gershkovich if he were elected to serve a second term in the White House.

He repeated those claims in a statement on his Truth Social platform Wednesday.

“EVAN GERSHKOVICH, the young Wall Street Journal reporter who is being harshly detained in Russia as his ESPIONAGE TRIAL is about to begin, will be released prior to my taking office if I WIN the Election on NOVEMBER 5th. Crooked Joe can’t do anything right, although it is likely that he will pay $BILLIONS, which continues a very bad ‘Biden Precedent,’ to get Evan home,” Trump wrote, using a nickname for his chief rival in the presidential race.

“Putin has no respect for Biden - and that’s the way it goes!!! Fear not, Evan, I will get you home soon, and you will be safe while there!!!” the former president added.

The Hill has reached out to the Biden campaign for comment.