Wall Street Journal writer Evan Gershkovich before a court hearing in Yekaterinburg, Russia on June 26. (Evgenia Novozhenina/Reuters)

The prosecution in Russia’s closed trial of American journalist Evan Gershkovich for alleged espionage demanded an 18-year prison term on Friday, as the case with significant ramifications for press freedom in Russia proceeded fast toward an inevitable conviction.

The trial, which has been denounced by United States officials as a sham, proceeded with unprecedented swiftness – foreshadowing potential advances in discussions for a prisoner exchange. Trials for espionage in Russia typically take months.