World reacts to Russia’s sentencing of US journalist Evan Gershkovich

A Russian court has found Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich guilty of espionage and sentenced the first US journalist accused of spying since the Cold War to 16 years in a penal colony.

Judge Andrei Mineyev said in closed-door proceedings on Friday that Gershkovich, 32, was sentenced to “punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term of 16 years in a strict regime colony”.

Gershkovich was first detained in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg in March 2023. So far, he has spent almost 16 months in detention.

His employer slammed the decision and called it a “disgraceful, sham conviction”.

“Evan has spent 478 days in prison, wrongfully detained, away from his family and friends, prevented from reporting, all for doing his job as a journalist,” Wall Street Journal Publisher Almar Latour and Editor-in-chief Emma Tucker said in a statement.

Here are some international reactions to his conviction and sentencing:

United States

President Joe Biden said Washington was pushing hard for the release of Gershkovich after his sentence was announced.

“There is no question that Russia is wrongfully detaining Evan. Journalism is not a crime,” Biden said in a statement.

United Kingdom

Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the decision to sentence Gershkovich as “despicable”.

“The sentencing of WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich is despicable and only serves to underscore Russia’s utter contempt for media freedom,” Starmer wrote on X.

Germany

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said journalism is “not a crime and the truth cannot be locked away”.

“Evan’s conviction … shows [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s fear of the power of facts. The verdict is politically motivated and part of Putin’s war propaganda,” Baerbock wrote on X.

European Union

European Parliament chief Roberta Metsola said the trial was “the antithesis of justice”.

“A politically motivated and sham trial. Journalism is not a crime. Evan must be released immediately,” she posted on X.

Foreign policy chief Josep Borrell accused Russia of using “its politicised legal system to punish journalism”.

“The EU calls to #FreeEvan and all other political prisoners,” he wrote on X.

Reporters Without Borders

The group condemned the ruling as a “state hostage taking”.

“Targeting Gershkovich in this way is another blatant example of unacceptable state hostage-taking by Russia,” it said in a statement, slamming the conviction as “outrageous”.

UN

The United Nations Human Rights office said there are serious concerns about the sentencing of Gershkovich.

“Journalists should be able to perform their essential professional functions work in a safe environment without fear of reprisals – in line with Russia’s international human rights obligations,” it said in a statement.

“We call for the release of all journalists in Russia detained solely for doing their jobs,” it added.