U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich jailed for 16 years by court in Russia

American journalist Evan Gershkovich was jailed for 16 years by a Russian court Friday after he was found guilty of espionage in a case that his employer, The Wall Street Journal, condemned as a sham.

Gershkovich, 32, denied any wrongdoing in the case that went to trial last month in the city of Yekaterinburg around 15 months after he was arrested in the Russian city on espionage charges.

The Sverdlovsk Region Court’s press service told NBC News over the phone that the state prosecutor had requested Gershkovich be sentenced to 18 years of imprisonment during closing arguments.

Jay Conti, executive vice president and general counsel for Dow Jones, WSJ’s publisher, condemned the trial as a “sham” based on “bogus charges that are completely trumped up” in a recent interview with The Associated Press.

The U.S. government has also condemned the charges against Gershkovich and said he was wrongfully detained.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.