Fri Dec 27 15:13:48 UTC 2024: ## American Citizen Sentenced to 15 Years in Russian Penal Colony on Espionage Charges

**MOSCOW** – Eugene Spector, a US citizen born in Russia, has been sentenced to 15 years in a maximum-security Russian penal colony on charges of leaking biotechnology secrets to the United States. The FSB, Russia’s security service, announced Friday that Spector, who had previously been serving a 3.5-year sentence for bribery, was found guilty of acting on behalf of the Pentagon and a US-based commercial organization.

According to the FSB, Spector collected and transferred sensitive information on biotechnology and biomedicine, including state secrets, to facilitate the creation of a rapid genetic screening system for the Russian population. While initial reports indicated a 13-year sentence for espionage, this was added to his existing bribery sentence, resulting in the 15-year term. The FSB did not disclose Spector’s plea in the closed-door proceedings.

The US Department of State has acknowledged the sentencing and stated it is monitoring the situation. The conviction adds to the growing tensions between Washington and Moscow, already strained by the ongoing war in Ukraine. The case of Mr. Spector follows previous instances of US citizens being detained in Russia, highlighting the increasingly fraught relationship between the two nations. While a prisoner exchange involving several nationals occurred in August, freeing prominent figures like Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, Mr. Spector’s case remains a point of contention.

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