For the first time since the Cold War, a journalist has gone on trial in Russia for espionage.

The Wall Street journals Evan Gerschkovic appeared in court today, accused of working on behalf of the CIA.

Nick Schifrin is here now with that story, Nick.

The White House calls the trial a quote sham and the charges against Gershovich

fiction. The US classifies him as wrongfully detained, but he will now be tried

on charges with a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

In a Russian court 900 miles from Moscow, padlocked into a glass box, Evan Gerskovic managed today

to flash a smile.

And yet the 32-year-old American journalist is a prisoner of Putin's penal system where

conviction rates are 99%.

Today's hearing lasted two hours and brought Gerskovich back to Yeketeringberg, where last March police arrested him on a reporting

trip. He is the first American reporter accused of espionage in nearly 30 years.

The investigation has established and documented that the American journalist on orders of the

CIA collected secret information about the activities of a defense enterprise.

The US and Wall Street Journal deny that, and today the journal called the trial, quote,

shameful and illegitimate.

Evan is a journalist who is accredited by the Russian government and journalism is not a crime.

But the U.S. believes Gerskovich's trial and anticipated conviction could help facilitate

a prisoner swap, a possibility that Putin confirmed earlier this month to international journalists.

Such issues are not decided via mass media.

They prefer a discreet, calm and professional approach and

dialogue between special services and they certainly should be decided only on

...