A Russian court has sentenced American citizen Gene Specter to 15 years in prison for participating in espionage against Russia, the Russian state news agency RIA reported, BTA reports.
Spectre, currently serving a 3.5-year sentence for corruption, was found guilty of illegally collecting and transmitting information of interest to the Russian state. He was also fined 14 million rubles (approximately 134,000 euros). He will face the strict regime in a penal colony.
Born in Russia, emigrated to the United States
Gene Specter was born in Russia and later moved to the United States. Before his arrest in 2021, he was the chairman of the board of directors of the company “Medpolymerprom“, which specializes in the production of drugs for the treatment of oncological diseases. This company has proven to be a key player in the industrial sector, and Specter has played an important role in its success in the international market.
Convicted of corruption and bribery
In 2022, Specter was found guilty of corruption charges after it was found that he helped bribe an associate of former Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich. The woman, Anastasia Alekseeva, accepted bribes in the form of two luxury vacations and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Dvorkovich, who served as Russia’s deputy prime minister from 2012 to 2018, now heads the international chess federation FIDE.
Closed trials and lack of details
Spekter’s espionage trial has been held behind closed doors, with details of the charges against him limited. However, his espionage conviction has raised questions about the political motives behind the charges, especially in the context of strained relations between Russia and the West.
Russia-West tensions
Spekter’s espionage conviction comes amid rising tensions between Russia and the West, exacerbated by the conflict in Ukraine. Several Western citizens, including Americans, have been detained in Russia in recent years, and their charges of espionage and other serious crimes are often unsupported by sufficient evidence. These arrests and trials only add to the negative political relations between the countries.
Prisoner exchange in 2023
In August 2023, Russia and the West carried out a prisoner exchange. Among those released were journalist Evan Gershkovich and former Marine Paul Whelan. The exchange is part of diplomatic efforts by Russia and the United States to improve bilateral relations, although tensions remain over human rights and political detentions.