The espionage trial of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich is now underway in Russia, behind closed doors. Gershkovich appeared in a courtroom Wednesday morning, June 26, inside a glass cage before the proceedings began. 

Wednesday’s hearing went on for over two hours. Afterwards, prosecutor Mikael Ozdoev made a brief statement. He said the case against Gershkovich had started and accused him of “performing illegal actions in secret.”

Falsely accused WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich appeared in a Russian court as proceedings started in a secret trial that will offer him few legal protectionshttps://t.co/CnygQ1pxLJ https://t.co/CnygQ1pxLJ

— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) June 26, 2024

He is the first western journalist to be arrested on espionage in post-Soviet Russia.  

Gershkovich was arrested while reporting for the Wall Street Journal in March 2023, just weeks before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, accused of spying for the CIA. 

The U.S. government, Wall Street Journal and Gershkovich himself all deny the allegations; the State Department has declared him “wrongfully detained.” 

His trial is expected to last months. If convicted, Gershkovich faces up to 20 years in prison. 

According to Russian state news agency TASS, Gershkovich’s next hearing is scheduled for Aug. 13.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the proceedings, telling TASS that it was necessary “to wait for the verdict that will be made.”