American imprisoned in Russia sentenced to new 15-year jail term for espionage

Eugene Spector, Russian-born U.S. citizen already imprisoned in Russia on a bribery conviction has been handed a second 15-year jail term for espionage, stands behind bars in a courtroom in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020.
| Photo Credit: AP

A Russian-born U.S. citizen already imprisoned in Russia on a bribery conviction has been handed a second 15-year jail term for espionage, Russian news agencies reported Tuesday, December 24, 2024.

A Moscow court brought espionage charges against Gene Spector in August 2023, although details surrounding the case were not made public.

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Spector, formerly an executive at a medical equipment company in Russia, was previously sentenced to 3.5 years in prison in September 2022 for enabling bribes to an aide of former Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich. The aide, Anastasia Alekseyeva, was sentenced to 12 years in April for taking bribes of two expensive overseas vacation trips.

Dvorkovich was a Deputy Prime Minister under Dmitry Medvedev from 2012-2018. He is currently head of the International Chess Federation FIDE.