A Russian court has sentenced Gene Spector, a US citizen, to 15 years in a strict-regime penal colony for espionage, according to Russian state news agencies. The sentencing, handed down by Moscow City Court on Tuesday, adds to a growing list of US citizens and dual nationals detained in Russia under similar charges.
Details surrounding the accusations against Spector remain classified, as the trial was conducted behind closed doors due to the sensitive nature of the case. The only public session was for the sentencing.
Born in 1972 in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), Spector, whose Russian name is Yevgeny Mironovich, later moved to the United States, where he obtained American citizenship. He returned to Russia as the general director of Medpolimerprom, a company group based in Saint Petersburg.
Spector was originally detained in 2020 and, in 2021, sentenced to four years in prison for his role as an intermediary in a bribery case involving luxury vacations provided to an aide of former deputy prime minister Arkady Dvorkovich. He pleaded guilty in that case, and his sentence was reduced by six months following a retrial.
Tuesday’s sentencing incorporates his previous conviction for bribery. Russian state media shared an image of Spector in court, appearing in a defendant’s cage, wearing glasses and a dark jacket.
This case follows a pattern of high-profile detentions of Americans in Russia, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was convicted of espionage earlier this year but was released in August as part of a prisoner exchange.
The secrecy surrounding Spector’s charges has fueled speculation, as espionage cases in Russia often involve limited public disclosure. The United States has yet to comment on the verdict, and it remains unclear if diplomatic negotiations for his release are underway.