THE trial of the American journalist Evan Gershkowitz ((Evan Gershkovich) who is being held in Russia on her charges espionagewill begin on June 26 and will be held in cameraRussian news agencies TASS and RIA reported today, citing the Sverdlovsk District Court.

“The first trial was set for the June 26 2024,” the court clarified.

Last week prosecutors indicated that the 32-year-old Gerskovich’s trial would be held in the city Yekaterinburgin the Ural region, where the journalist was arrested on March 29, 2023.

Her American journalist Wall Street Journal – who worked for the AFP in Moscow from 2020 to 2021 – is accused of gathering “classified information” about the Russian company Uralvagonzavod on behalf of the CIA, a charge that carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

“According to the authorities, the American Wall Street Journal journalist Gershkovich, on the instructions of the CIA, was in March 2023 collecting classified information in the Sverdlovsk region about the activities of the arms manufacturing company JSC NPK Uralvagonzavod related to the manufacture and repair of military equipment “, the court pointed out.

Uralvagonzavod is one of the largest Russian military equipment manufacturing companies and the largest tank production plant in the world.

He, his family, his employer and Washington deny the allegations.

It’s about him first American journalist arrested in Russia on charges of espionage after his Cold War.

The White House has called the charges “ridiculous” and President Joe Biden has said Gershkowitz’s detention is “totally illegal.”