Evan Gershkovich's trial in Russia and the 2024 prisoner swap that freed him

Gone quiet · last story Apr 21, 2025

What this arc covers

The Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich's detention in Russia: the court's refusal to free him, his trial and 16-year sentence for espionage, and the August 2024 multi-country prisoner swap that freed him and Paul Whelan in exchange for Russians including Vadim Krasikov.

Earliest story we hold Jan 26, 2024 · 20 stories · 193 independent sources (counted once each) · 451 days

Part ofEvan GershkovichRussiaVladimir PutinMoscowDonald TrumpNicolás MaduroUkraineUnited States Department of State

Part of Putin's Russia

  1. Putin's 2024 re-election and the start of his fifth termJan 9 – May 12, 2024
  2. Evan Gershkovich's trial in Russia and the 2024 prisoner swap that freed himThis arcJan 26, 2024 – Apr 21, 2025
  3. Alexei Navalny's death in a Russian prison and the findings he was poisonedFeb 16, 2024 – Feb 14, 2026
  4. Russia's wartime parliamentary election of September 2026Jul 17 – Sep 25, 2026

Where it standsnewest first · each bar runs left to right by leaning

Apr 212025El Salvador’s president offers Maduro US-deported Venezuelans for prisoner swap30 articles · 28 independent sources
3 left, 6 center, 3 right
Apr 10– 112025Ksenia Karelina lands in US after prisoner swap with Russia55 articles · 32 independent sources
5 left, 12 center, 2 right
Aug 52024Bloomberg apologizes for premature story on prisoner swap and disciplines the journalists involved13 articles · 13 independent sources
1 left, 1 center, 1 right

Key momentsthe most covered; every story is below

  1. Feb 5 – 10, 2024Putin uses Tucker Carlson interview to press his Ukraine narrative, hints at swapping WSJ reporter105 articles · 62 independent sources
    1. Feb 5, 2024Tucker Carlson addresses Putin interview rumors
    2. Feb 6, 2024Russia says former Fox News host Tucker Carlson has interviewed Putin
    3. Feb 10, 2024Boris Johnson calls out Tucker Carlson for 2-hour Putin interview: 'Bum-sucking servility to a tyrant'
  2. Jun 25 – 26, 2024Russia puts US journalist Evan Gershkovich on trial71 articles · 44 independent sources
  3. Jul 18 – 20, 2024Evan Gershkovich sentenced to 16 years in Russian prison123 articles · 63 independent sources
    1. Jul 18, 2024WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich's Russian espionage trial resumes
    2. Jul 19, 2024Russia convicts US reporter of espionage after a trial seen as politically motivated
  4. Aug 1 – 3, 2024US and Russia tout prisoner swap as a victory. But perceptions of the deal show stark differences240 articles · 90 independent sources
  5. Aug 1 – 2, 2024Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan freed from Russia in historic multi-country prisoner swap, back in US89 articles · 35 independent sources

Who covered it, over timeindependent sources per week, by side

Jan 2024Apr 2024Jul 2024Oct 2024Jan 2025Apr 2025

LeftCenterRight

Point at or tap a week to see its count by side.

Every week as a table
Week ofLeftCenterRightArticles
Jan 22, 202454433
Feb 5, 2024152315112
Feb 19, 202442112
Mar 25, 202411187120
Apr 22, 202428331
May 20, 20245117
Jun 10, 2024713745
Jun 17, 202437541
Jun 24, 2024718666
Jul 15, 2024162510116
Jul 29, 2024284424319
Aug 5, 202411113
Apr 7, 2025512254
Apr 21, 202536327

Stories before June 28, 2026 come from archived pages, so who covered them is limited to the outlets we recovered for that period.

25% left · 59% center · 16% right of 193 independent sources among the outlets we track, across 20 stories.

Every storyoldest first

  1. January 2024

    Jan 26Pre-trial detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich extended through March34 articles · 23 independent sources
    5 left, 4 center, 4 right

  2. February 2024

    Feb 5– 10Putin uses Tucker Carlson interview to press his Ukraine narrative, hints at swapping WSJ reporter105 articles · 62 independent sources
    15 left, 19 center, 13 right
  3. Feb 9Putin claims deal could be reached for imprisoned WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich in rare interview with Tucker Carlson18 articles · 14 independent sources
    3 left, 5 center, 3 right
  4. Feb 20A Russian court extends the pretrial detention for an American reporter accused of spying12 articles · 12 independent sources
    4 left, 2 center, 1 right

  5. March 2024

    Mar 26Russia extends arrest of US reporter Evan Gershkovich. He has already spent nearly a year in jail21 articles · 14 independent sources
    2 left, 4 center, 3 right
  6. Mar 26– 29Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich marks 1 year in Russian prison51 articles · 32 independent sources
    10 left, 9 center, 6 right
  7. Mar 28– 29US journalist marks a year in a Russian prison as courts keep extending his time behind bars35 articles · 21 independent sources
    1 left, 4 center, 1 right
  8. Mar 29Biden says he’s working to secure release of Wall Street Journal reporter held for a year in Russia21 articles · 21 independent sources
    2 left, 5 center, 1 right

  9. April 2024

    Apr 23– 24Moscow court rejects Evan Gershkovich’s appeal, keeping him in jail until at least June 3034 articles · 26 independent sources
    2 left, 8 center, 3 right

  10. May 2024

  11. June 2024

    Jun 13US reporter Evan Gershkovich to stand trial in Russia on espionage charges31 articles · 29 independent sources
    4 left, 10 center, 5 right
  12. Jun 13– 17Trial of Evan Gershkovich, U.S. reporter charged with espionage in Russia, is to begin June 2659 articles · 32 independent sources
    5 left, 12 center, 6 right
  13. Jun 25– 26Russia puts US journalist Evan Gershkovich on trial71 articles · 44 independent sources
    7 left, 18 center, 6 right

  14. July 2024

    Jul 18– 20Evan Gershkovich sentenced to 16 years in Russian prison123 articles · 63 independent sources
    16 left, 25 center, 10 right

  15. August 2024

    Aug 1– 2Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan freed from Russia in historic multi-country prisoner swap, back in US89 articles · 35 independent sources
    9 left, 12 center, 8 right
  16. Aug 1– 3US and Russia tout prisoner swap as a victory. But perceptions of the deal show stark differences240 articles · 90 independent sources
    23 left, 37 center, 20 right
  17. Aug 1– 2Putin called him a patriot. But who is Vadim Krasikov, a Russian released in the mass prisoner swap?14 articles · 8 independent sources
    2 left, 3 center, 0 right
  18. Aug 5Bloomberg apologizes for premature story on prisoner swap and disciplines the journalists involved13 articles · 13 independent sources
    1 left, 1 center, 1 right

  19. April 2025

    Apr 10– 11Ksenia Karelina lands in US after prisoner swap with Russia55 articles · 32 independent sources
    5 left, 12 center, 2 right
  20. Apr 21El Salvador’s president offers Maduro US-deported Venezuelans for prisoner swap30 articles · 28 independent sources
    3 left, 6 center, 3 right