 Prosecutors claim Gershkovich had tried to obtain information about a Russian tank factory for the CIA. Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal, and the U.S. government all vehemently deny that charge. They also note that Gershkovich was on a reporting assignment with official accreditation from Russia's foreign ministry at the time of his arrest in March of last year. The guilty verdict was never in doubt. Nearly all Russian criminal cases end in conviction.