Well, the official trial hearings of imprisoned Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich started today.

He's been detained in a Russian prison since March of last year on charges of espionage, charges that have been vehemently denied by the U.S. government and by his employer.

The Wall Street Journal, whose editor in chief says he was arrested simply for doing his job in a country where independent journalism has been turned into a crime.

Today's hearing was held in secret, leaving Gershkovich without many of the protections he'd have here in the U.S. court system.

Anton Troianovski is the Moscow bureau chief for The New York Times, who's been following the case and joins us now from Berlin.

Anton, thanks so much for taking the time to be with us tonight.

Now we know that the Gershkovich trial is closed to the public.

These are all closed door hearings.

What details can you share about what happened today?

Well, Evan, you know, he's spent the last 15 months in a jail in Moscow.

He was transferred recently to the city of Yekaterinburg in the Ural mountains in central Russia to stand trial for these absurd espionage accusations against him.

And today was the start of this, a trial so called a trial in which behind closed doors, the Russian authorities will present some sort of evidence that they will claim a makes him guilty.

But the fact is that they have presented nothing publicly.

And it's really clear that that Evan is essentially a hostage of Vladimir Putin.

As you just alluded to.

There's been no evidence presented whatsoever.

We know that there is a state appointed military prosecutor.

I believe his name is Mikhail Joseph.

I'm saying that correctly.

Do we know does does even have a public defender?

Does he have any ability to present a defense case here?

So he even does have lawyers that I know The Wall Street Journal is is working with.

But the thing is that this is happening in Vladimir Putin of Vladimir Putin's Russia, in which there is no independent judiciary.

So while, you know, we're going to see kind of the the trappings of the due process and and a judiciary, you know, in Russia, people are convicted almost every time.

And and certainly in such a high profile case that the Kremlin is clearly involved in.

We can't expect any anything like a fair trial.

Some might have been shocked to see his appearance today.

He had a shaved head.

We know, as you mentioned, he's been moved to a new location for the trial.

What else do we know about what's going to happen to him?

Will he have access to family and friends now that the trial has begun?

So he so he's been kept really in near isolation in this prison in Moscow since March of last year, where he can't be visited by friends, he can't be visited by his family.

You know, he has he he did has received visits from his lawyers and occasionally from the U.S. ambassador to Moscow.

So I'm obviously hoping everyone's hoping that that at least continues.

And he does he does have the ability to write and receive letters.

So based on those letters that I've also been able to exchange with him, you know, I can say that his spirits remain high.

He's just incredibly strong and I know can get through this.

But but clearly, it's it's extremely hard.

The U.S. government maintains his innocence.

His employer, The Wall Street Journal, maintains his innocence throughout this.

In February, president, President Putin indicated he might be willing to negotiate a prisoner swap.

Does it does is there any movement there?

Do we know if there are any talks ongoing between the U.S. embassy, between Putin?

Well, I mean, that obviously is happening very much behind closed doors of both the U.S. government and Russian officials, including, as you say, Putin himself have said that there are conversations going on.

But it's obviously also very complicated and we just don't know how close that may be to coming to fruition.

And, of course, folks here watching to see if retired U.S. Marine Paul Whalen would be included in those talks as well.

Anton, try and obfuscate.

Thank you so much for taking the time today.

Thanks so much for having me.