YEKATERINBURG, July 19. /TASS/. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was found guilty of espionage and sentenced to 16 years in a maximum-security prison, according to a TASS reporter at the courtroom.

When reading out the verdict, the judge said the court found him "guilty of committing the crime." He also said the court ruled "to impose a sentence of 16 years in a maximum-security prison."

Earlier, the Sverdlovsk Regional Court held two sessions in the case behind closed doors before hearing closing arguments on Friday. Prosecution asked for a prison term of 18 years. Gershkovich didn’t plead guilty.

The Russian Federal Security Service, also known as the FSB, said that Gershkovich, collected information constituting a state secret about a Russian defense industry enterprise on orders from the US. The reporter was detained in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg in March last year.