New York, Jun 17 (IANS/DPA): The closed-door trial against Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in Russia for alleged espionage will begin on June 26, a regional court in the city of Yekaterinburg in Ural federal district said on Monday.

"The trial will take place in camera," the court said in a statement, according to the Tass agency, meaning that the public will not be allowed to attend.

The US journalist was indicted for allegedly collecting information on the production and repair of defence technology last year on behalf of the CIA, the US intelligence agency. The target of the alleged espionage was the Uralvagonzavod company in the city of Nizhny Tagil in the Urals.

Gershkovich, his employer, and the US government have rejected the accusation. The Russian side has not made any evidence public in the proceedings to date.

The correspondent was detained in Yekaterinburg in March 2023 during a research trip to the Ural region. He was held in custody in Moscow while on remand.

Gershkovich is seen as a bargaining chip that Moscow can use to put pressure on the US government. Yekaterinburg, the capital of the Russian region of Sverdlovsk, is located nearly 1,800 km east of Moscow.