YEKATERINBURG. June 17 (Interfax) - The Sverdlovsk Region Court has scheduled a hearing of the case of the Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, charged with spying for the Central Intelligence Agency, for June 26, the court press service told Interfax.
"The trial will be held in camera. The first hearing is scheduled for June 26, 2024," the press service said.
The investigative department of the Russian Federal Security Service conducted the pretrial investigation, it said.
"According to investigators, Gershkovich, a U.S. reporter of the Wall Street Journal, was gathering classified information about operations of the Uralvagonzavod defense plant, manufacturing and repairing military hardware, in the Sverdlovsk region in March 2023 on the CIA orders," the press service said.
The FSB said Gershkovich was detained in Yekaterinburg "trying to obtain classified information."
Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said earlier that Gershkovich was caught red-handed. Gershkovich pled not guilty, his defense team said. U.S. authorities said his arrest was wrongful and are seeking to secure his release.
In early June, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the United States is taking energetic steps to secure Gershkovich's release, but such issues must be resolved only on the reciprocity basis.