A Russian court has found Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich guilty of espionage and sentenced him to 16 years in prison, making him the first American journalist to be accused of spying since the Cold War.

Judge Andrei Mineyev ruled in closed-door proceedings on Friday that Gershkovich would be sentenced to “punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term of 16 years in a strict regime colony.”

Gershkovich has already spent about 16 months in Moscow’s notorious Lefortovo Prison, which is home to serial killers and political prisoners.

Gershkovich’s conviction has been roundly criticized by journalists and world leaders, who note that the country has been steadily cracking down on freedom of speech since it sent troops into Ukraine.

“There is no question that Russia is wrongfully detaining Evan,” President Joe Biden said in a statement. “Journalism is not a crime.”

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the sentence “despicable” on X, saying that it “only serves to underscore Russia’s utter contempt for media freedom.”

Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock blamed the decision on Russia’s top leaders.

“Evan’s conviction shows [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s fear of the power of facts,” Baerbock wrote on X. “The verdict is politically motivated and part of Putin’s war propaganda.”

Gershkovich, 32, was arrested on March 29, 2023 while reporting in the city of Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains.

Without presenting any evidence, authorities claimed that he was gathering secret information for the United States.

The trial began on June 26.

Unlike previous hearings which were open to the public, there was no access to the courtroom during the final days of the sentencing hearings.

Espionage and treason cases are often shrouded in secrecy, with no reporters allowed.

Gershkovich’s conviction did not come as a surprise.

Russian courts typically convict more than 99% of defendants.

Prosecutors are permitted to appeal sentences that they believe are too lenient, and even have the ability to appeal acquittals.

The U.S. State Department classifies Gershkovich as being “wrongfully detained,” which commits the government to assertively seek his release.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at the United Nations that Moscow and Washington’s “special services” have discussed a prisoner exchange involving Gershkovich.

A deal could take months or even years to be finalized.

As Gershkovich heads to the penal colony, his employer has publicly called for his release.

“Evan’s wrongful detention has been an outrage since his unjust arrest 477 days ago, and it must end now,” Wall Street Journal Publisher Almar Latour and Editor-in-chief Emma Tucker said in a statement. “Even as Russia orchestrates its shameful sham trial, we continue to do everything we can to push for Evan’s immediate release and to state unequivocally: Evan was doing his job as a journalist, and journalism is not a crime. Bring him home now.”