ATLANTA — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia strongly condemned the sentencing of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in Russia on Friday.
“I condemn the Russian Government’s wrongful arrest, sham trial, and today’s unjust ‘sentencing’ of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. I call again for Mr. Gershkovich’s immediate release,” Ossoff said in a statement. “Mr. Gershkovich is an honorable American journalist who has been illegitimately seized and prosecuted by the Russian Federation. His detention and sham trial are cruel and unjustifiable violations of human rights and press freedom.”
Gershkovich, who has been in the custody of the Russian government since his arrest in March 2023 on charges of espionage. He was convicted and charged on Friday.
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The Russian government accused him of working on behalf of the U.S. government to find and collect state secrets in Russia. Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal and the U.S. government have repeatedly denied those claims.