A US citizen was arrested in Russia accused of espionage by a court in this country geopolitically at odds with Washington, Russian state press agencies announced on Thursday.
According to the Interfax agency, Gene Spector, an American nationalbut of Russian origin, pleaded guilty and reached a collaboration agreement with the investigators.
A crime of this type is condemned in Russia with sentences of up to 20 years in prison.
state agency Ria Novostiaccording to DW, indicated that the judicial authorities have classified this case as confidential and its details are unknown.
Spector had already been convicted in September 2022 to three and a half years in prison for a crime of “corruption” in a case involving a former assistant to former Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich.
According to the TASS agency, also official, Spector was born and raised in Russia before going to live in the United States, where he was naturalized. He chaired the board of directors of the Russian business group Medpolimerprom.
In recent years, several Americans have been arrested and sentenced to significant terms for alleged espionage or other crimes in Russia.
Basketball player Brittney Griner was convicted last December of cannabis trafficking, while Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich is charged with espionage and has been jailed since March.
Keep reading:
· Evan Gershkovich will remain behind bars after a new decision by the Russian court
More than 300 journalists demand that the Russian foreign minister release the Wall Street Journal reporter
· WNBA star Brittney Griner vows to continue working for the freedom of Americans imprisoned abroad
