In a stark move that has drawn international condemnation, a Russian court has sentenced American journalist Evan Gershkovich to 16 years in prison on charges of espionage, which observers and global press rights groups have labeled as completely fabricated.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has vehemently criticized the decision, calling it an “outrageous” misuse of judicial power to manipulate journalists as geopolitical tools. The closed-door trial, which began on June 26 in Yekaterinburg’s Sverdlovsk Regional Court, concluded swiftly with the severe sentencing on July 19, following allegations of Gershkovich collecting sensitive information under the guise of journalism.

Arrested on March 29, 2023, by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) while reporting in Yekaterinburg, Gershkovich, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, faced accusations of gathering classified data about a Russian military facility. Both Gershkovich and his employing news outlet, along with the U.S. government, have strenuously denied these charges, asserting his innocence and journalistic integrity.

“This disgraceful, sham conviction comes after Evan has spent 478 days in prison, wrongfully detained, away from his family and friends, prevented from reporting, all for doing his job as a journalist,” said Almar Latour, CEO of Dow Jones and publisher of The Wall Street Journal, and Emma Tucker, editor in chief of the publication, in a statement on Friday.

The U.S. State Department has officially declared Gershkovich as “wrongfully detained.” The Wall Street Journal’s top executives expressed their dismay at the conviction, highlighting the injustice served to Gershkovich who has been imprisoned for over a year, deprived of his freedom and professional duties purely for engaging in standard journalistic practices.

This case places Russia as one of the top jailers of journalists globally, a concerning statistic that underscores the ongoing risks journalists face in regions with contentious press freedoms.