Imprisoned American journalist Evan Gershkovich may soon be released as part of a prisoner exchange between the United States and Russia, according to a report in the Moscow Times.
The agreement will reportedly involve as many as 30 individuals and may include several German nationals.
Gershkovich, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, was sentenced earlier this month to 16 years in prison after being convicted in a closed trial of espionage-related charges.
The 32-year-old New Jersey native, who has maintained his innocence, was arrested in March 2023 by Russia’s Federal Security Service while on a work assignment in the city of Yekaterinburg.
In April 2023, Gershkovich was formally declared “wrongfully detained” by the U.S. State Department.
If the reports are accurate, the arrangement will be the largest trade of incarcerated citizens between Washington and Moscow since the Cold War.
Related Story: Kremlin Says Russia May Make Deal for Gershkovich Swap
