Russia sentences former US consulate worker to nearly 5 years in prison

A tribunal successful Russia’s far-eastern metropolis of Vladivostok has convicted a erstwhile U.S. Consulate worker charged pinch cooperating pinch a overseas authorities and sentenced him to 4 years and 10 months successful prison

MOSCOW -- A tribunal successful Russia's far-eastern metropolis of Vladivostok connected Friday convicted a erstwhile U.S. Consulate worker charged pinch cooperating pinch a overseas authorities and sentenced him to 4 years and 10 months successful prison.

Robert Shonov, a Russian national and erstwhile worker of nan U.S. Consulate successful Vladivostok, was arrested successful May 2023. Russia's apical home information agency, nan FSB, accused him of “gathering accusation astir nan typical subject operation" successful Ukraine, a partial call-up successful Russian regions and its power connected "protest activities of nan organization successful nan runup to nan 2024 statesmanlike election.”

The U.S. Embassy successful Moscow condemned nan condemnation and rejected nan charges against him arsenic “completely mendacious and unfounded.”

"The criminal prosecution of Mr. Shonov only underscores nan run of intimidation nan Russian authorities is progressively taking against its ain citizens,” nan embassy said successful a statement.

Shonov was charged nether a caller article of Russian rule that criminalizes “cooperation connected a confidential ground pinch a overseas state, world aliases overseas statement to assistance their activities intelligibly aimed against Russia’s security.” Kremlin critics and quality authorities advocates person said it is truthful wide that it tin beryllium utilized to punish immoderate Russian pinch overseas connections. It carries a situation condemnation of up to 8 years.

The U.S. State Department past twelvemonth said Shonov worked astatine nan U.S. Consulate successful Vladivostok for much than 25 years. The consulate closed successful 2020 because of nan COVID-19 pandemic and ne'er reopened.

The State Department has said that aft a Russian authorities bid successful April 2021 required nan dismissal of each section labor successful U.S. negotiated outposts successful Russia, Shonov worked astatine a institution nan U.S. contracted pinch to support its embassy successful Moscow.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said successful May 2023 that Shonov’s only domiciled astatine nan clip of his apprehension was “to compile media summaries of property items from publically disposable Russian media sources.”

Shonov was held successful nan Lefortovo Prison successful Moscow, notorious for its harsh conditions, pending investigation, but stood proceedings successful Vladivostok's Primorsky District Court.

In summation to a situation term, which Shonov was ordered to service successful a wide authorities penal colony, nan tribunal ruled that he must salary a good of 1 cardinal rubles (just complete $10,000) and look further restrictions for 16 months aft finishing his situation sentence.