# Evan Gershkovich on Russian trap

> Journalist Evan Gershkovich describes how he was lured into a spy trap by Russian FSB agents in 2023, leading to 16 months in prison before a swap deal freed him.
- Title: Evan Gershkovich on Russian trap · BBC News | Shortify
- Summary: Journalist Evan Gershkovich describes how he was lured into a spy trap by Russian FSB agents in 2023, leading to 16 months in prison before a swap deal freed…
- Keywords: evan gershkovich, russian fsb, wall street journal, prisoner swap, moscow, yekaterinburg, vadim krasikov, lefortovo jail, victoriia roshchyna, biden, harris, news
- Source: BBC News — https://bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ck9qr8jy8ynyo
- Published: 2026-09-29T12:43:04.12+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: evan gershkovich, russian fsb, wall street journal, prisoner swap, moscow, yekaterinburg, vadim krasikov, lefortovo jail, victoriia roshchyna, biden, harris, news
## Evan Gershkovich
US journalist Evan Gershkovich was arrested by Russian FSB agents in 2023 after meeting a man he thought was a source in Yekaterinburg.

> I'm not interrogated, I'm not tortured… I'm accused of espionage
## The trap
Gershkovich said masked men surrounded him at a restaurant in Yekaterinburg, claiming they 'booked that table' and detained him.

> They marched in and said 'I think we booked that table'
## False charges
Gershkovich was sentenced to 16 years in prison but freed 16 months later in a prisoner swap deal involving Russian assassin Vadim Krasikov.

> They [Moscow] got away with it in the sense that there were no sanctions imposed
## Lefortovo jail
Gershkovich was held in Moscow's Lefortovo jail, which has held political prisoners and dissidents since the Stalin era.

> It's a really isolating experience
## Smiling defiance
Gershkovich smiled at cameras during court appearances to show he was not being tortured and was a pawn in Moscow's game.

> We know this is a fabricated case, so if this is a game of theatre, let's not let [Moscow] have it play out the way they want
## Prisoner swap
Gershkovich was freed on 1 August 2024 in a swap deal with US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

> It was a moment of pure joy
## Aftermath
Gershkovich faced panic attacks and sleep issues after his release, but has seen therapists for post-traumatic stress disorder.

> I wasn't sleeping, suffered panic attacks in large crowds
## Return to Russia?
Gershkovich hopes to return to Russia one day but says it's unclear if the next government will be better than Putin's.

> I would hope to get back one day, but we'll have to see what comes after Putin
## Key takeaway

US journalist Evan Gershkovich was falsely accused of espionage by Russia in 2023, detained for 16 months before being freed in an August 2024 prisoner swap.