An American journalist who has been held in Russia for more than a year will stand trial on espionage charges, authorities have said. The Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich is accused of 'gathering secret information' for the CIA about Uralvagonzavod, a facility that produces and repairs military equipment, Russia's Prosecutor General's office said.
US government responds US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller has said there is 'absolutely zero credibility to those charges' and vowed the US government will continue working to bring Mr Gershkovich home. 'Evan has done nothing wrong. He should never have been arrested in the first place. Journalism is not a crime,' he said. 'The charges against him are false. And the Russian government knows that they're false. He should be released immediately.