Eugene Spector, a US citizen originally from Russia, has been sentenced to 15 years in a maximum security penal colony in Russia. The country's FSB security service announced that Spector was found guilty of leaking biotechnology secrets to the United States.
According to the FSB, Spector acted on behalf of the Pentagon, gathering and transferring sensitive information related to biotechnological and biomedical topics, which included state secrets. This information was allegedly intended for the development of a high-speed genetic screening system for the Russian population by the US.
Spector was already serving a three-and-a-half-year sentence for bribery when the new espionage charges were brought against him. Initial reports indicated he received a 13-year sentence for spying, which was later combined with his existing sentence, resulting in the new total of 15 years.
The FSB did not disclose Spector's plea during the closed proceedings. The US Department of State has acknowledged awareness of the sentencing and is monitoring the situation closely. The imprisonment of US citizens in Russia has heightened tensions between Washington and Moscow, particularly in light of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
This sentencing follows a period of prisoner exchanges, including the release of US citizens Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan in August.