A Russian court ruled today guilty the American journalist Evan Gershkowitz (Evan Gershkovich) for espionage and sentenced him to prison 16 years in maximum security prisonsin a case of travesty, as characterized by his employer, the Wall Street Journal.

The trial of 32-year-old Gerskovich, who denies any wrongdoing and says the charges against him are false, began last month andbehind closed doors in Yekaterinburg, Russia.

He is the first American journalist to be arrested on charges of espionage in Russia since the Cold War.

Prosecutors alleged that Gershkowitz had collected classified information on orders from the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) about a company making armored vehicles for Russia’s war in Ukraine.

He, his newspaper and the US government deny the allegations and say he was just doing his job as a journalist accredited by the Russian Foreign Ministry to work there.

Espionage cases often take months to process.

The unusual speed with which Gerskovich’s trial was conducted has fueled speculation that a possible prisoner exchange agreement between the US and Russiawhich will include Gershkovich and other Americans held in Russia.