Axios

A Russian court on Friday convicted Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich of espionage charges and sentenced him to 16 years in prison, multiple outlets reported.

Gershkovich, the newspaper and the U.S. government denounced the charges and the trial as a “sham.” The verdict could pave the way for an eventual prisoner swap to free Gershkovich, who the U.S. has deemed “wrongfully detained.”

The Kremlin previously said that a verdict in the case is necessary before an exchange could occur.

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