GERSHKOVICH APPEARS WITH SHAVED HEAD BEFORE START OF CLOSED TRIAL IN RUSSIA

A shaven-headed Evan Gershkovich appeared briefly before journalists in a Russian court on Wednesday at the start of a trial on charges of espionage that the US reporter denies.

Gershkovich, 32 was seen standing in a glass box, wearing an open-necked shirt and with his arms folded.

The Wall Street Journal reporter is accused by prosecutors of gathering secret information on the orders of the US Central Intelligence Agency about a company that manufactures tanks for Russia's war in Ukraine. If convicted, he faces a sentence of up to 20 years.

He, his newspaper, and the US government all reject the allegations and say that he was just doing his job as a reporter accredited by Russia's Foreign Ministry to work there.

2024-06-26T06:37:19Z dg43tfdfdgfd