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

US had condemned apprehension of Robert Shonov, who worked for much than 25 years successful the now-shuttered ngo successful Vladivostok.

A tribunal successful Russia has sentenced a erstwhile United States consulate worker to 4 years and 10 months successful situation for “secret collaboration with a overseas state”, authorities media reported.

Robert Shonov, a Russian national and ex-employee astatine the now-shuttered US ngo successful Vladivostok, was sentenced connected Friday astatine the Primorsky District Court successful the Far Eastern city.

The tribunal besides ordered him to wage a good of 1 cardinal roubles ($10,200) and look further restrictions for 16 months aft finishing his situation sentence.

Shonov was arrested successful May 2023. The Federal Security Service (FSB) accused him of “gathering information” astir Russia’s warfare successful Ukraine pursuing its full-scale penetration successful February 2022

The FSB said Shonov had supplied accusation to US embassy staff successful Moscow connected however Russia’s conscription for the warfare successful Ukraine was affecting governmental discontent wrong Russia up of the country’s 2024 statesmanlike election.

Last year, the US Department of State condemned his apprehension and said the allegations against Shonov “are wholly without merit“.

He was charged nether a caller nonfiction that criminalises “cooperation connected a confidential ground with a overseas state, planetary oregon overseas organisation to assistance their activities intelligibly aimed against Russia’s security”.

Human rights advocates person said the instrumentality is truthful wide that it tin beryllium utilized to punish immoderate Russian with overseas connections. It carries a situation condemnation of up to 8 years.

Shonov was held astatine the Lefortovo situation successful Moscow pursuing his apprehension [File: AP Photo]

The State Department said that Shonov worked astatine its consulate successful Vladivostok for much than 25 years. The consulate closed successful 2020 due to the fact that of the COVID-19 pandemic, and ne'er reopened.

He worked astatine a institution the US contracted to enactment its embassy successful Moscow aft a Russian authorities bid successful April 2021 required the dismissal of each section employees successful US diplomatic outposts successful the country.

At the clip of his arrest, his main occupation arsenic a backstage contractor was “to compile media summaries of property items from publically disposable Russian media sources”, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said successful May 2023.

“The information that helium is being prosecuted nether the ‘confidential cooperation’ instrumentality highlights the Russian Federation’s blatant usage of progressively repressive laws against its ain citizens,” the State Department had said, arsenic it accused Russia of attempting to intimidate and harass Washington’s employees.

In September 2023, Russia besides expelled 2 US diplomats it accused of acting arsenic liaison agents for Shonov.

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Al Jazeera and quality agencies