MOSCOW, (TDI): A Russian court on Tuesday sentenced an US citizen to 15 years in a strict-regime penal colony on charges of espionage, according to Russian state news agencies.
Espionage Sentence
The Moscow City Court handed down the sentence to Gene Spector, who was born in Russia as Yevgeny Mironovich. The court considered a previous sentence for bribery when determining the new term, reported RIA Novosti.
The trial, held mostly behind closed doors due to the classified nature of the case, revealed few details about the accusations against Spector.
News agencies released a photograph showing him in the defendant’s cage, wearing glasses and a dark jacket.
Background on Spector
Spector, born in 1972 in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), emigrated to the United States where he obtained citizenship. He later returned to Russia, where he lived in Saint Petersburg with his family and served as the general director of the Medpolimerprom company group.
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In 2020, Spector was detained and, a year later, sentenced to four years in prison for facilitating bribery. He pled guilty to arranging luxury holidays for an assistant to former Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich. His bribery sentence was reduced by six months following a retrial.
Recent Context
Spector’s case follows a series of detentions and sentences handed down to U.S. citizens and dual nationals in Russia. Some have been released through prisoner exchanges, while others remain incarcerated.
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Earlier this year, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was convicted of espionage in July but was released in August. However, details surrounding Spector’s charges have not been disclosed publicly.
