US soldier detained in Russia receives nearly four-year prison sentence
U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Gordon Black, stationed previously with the Eighth Army in South Korea, was sentenced to three years and nine months in a Russian prison for theft and threatening murder. The incident occurred while he was on leave and unlawfully in Vladivostok, Russia, after not returning to the U.S. as scheduled. Alexandra Vashchuk, identified as Black’s girlfriend, alleged that he stole approximately $112 and assaulted her. Black confessed to the theft but denied the murder threat. His arrest and sentencing have prompted the U.S. State Department to reiterate dire warnings for U.S. citizens regarding the safety risks of staying in or traveling to Russia, alongside a recommendation from the Travel Advisory for immediate departure from the country. The U.S. government has not stated whether Black is considered wrongfully detained, a status that could engage further diplomatic interventions such as those seen in other high-profile cases of detained Americans in Russia.
The U.S. Army soldier arrested in Russia in May was sentenced to three years and nine months in a Russian prison on charges of theft and threatening murder.
Staff Sgt. Gordon Black, who was arrested May 2, learned his fate Wednesday while he stood inside a glass cage in the district court of Vladivostok, Russia.
He was accused of stealing about $112, about 10,000 rubles, from a woman believed to be his girlfriend, Alexandra Vashchuk, and of assaulting her. Black admitted to stealing the money but pleaded not guilty to the death threat, state media reported.
He was most recently assigned to the Eighth Army, U.S. Forces Korea, at Camp Humphreys, Republic of South Korea. On April 10, he out-processed from the Eighth Army and signed out on Permanent Change of Station leave for Fort Cavazos, Texas. Instead of returning to the United States, Black flew from Incheon, South Korea, through China to Vladivostok for personal reasons, Army spokeswoman Cynthia O. Smith said at the time.
“We reiterate our strong warnings about the danger posed to U.S. citizens inside the Russian Federation. U.S. citizens residing or traveling in Russia should depart immediately, as stated in our Travel Advisory for Russia,” a State Department official told the Washington Examiner when asked about his sentence.
The department declined to say whether it has determined Black to be wrongfully detained, which is a legal definition that puts the case under the purview of the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs within the department.
There are several Americans currently and previously wrongfully detained in Russia. The Biden administration has agreed to two separate prisoner swaps with Moscow to secure the release of Trevor Reed and Brittney Griner, both of whom the administration had determined were the victims of being wrongfully detained.
Paul Whelan was detained in 2018 and was sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2020 on espionage charges that both he and the U.S. vehemently deny. His brother, David Whelan, said Wednesday marks 2,000 days in Russian detention for Paul and noted his brother has completed about one-third of his sentence.
“We remain grateful for the Ambassador’s support of Paul and our family, but we also made it clear that calling Paul’s case a ‘priority’ of the White House had caused the word to lose all meaning. Paul’s case does not appear to be a priority,” David said in an email. “Or the people who say it is use that word in a very different way from how it’s defined. This strong consular support, weak White House support hearkens back to Paul’s first 1,000 days.”
Similarly, Evan Gershkovich, a reporter with the Wall Street Journal, was arrested last spring in Russia on espionage charges, which he, the paper, and the Biden administration strongly rebutted. He will stand trial in Yekaterinburg, Russia.
Roger Carstens, special presidential envoy for Hostage Affairs, said last week that Gershkovich will likely be moved from Lefortovo, Russia, to Yekaterinburg, more than 800 miles away, before the end of June.
“If it’s anything like what happened to Brittney Griner, Paul Whelan, Trevor Reed, there’ll be a period when he leaves Lefortovo where we won’t have any contact with him,” Carstens said.
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State Department spokesman Matthew Miller reiterated last week that the U.S. had put a “substantial offer on the table” to secure their release, but Russia declined.
Russian President Vladimir Putin hinted earlier in the year that “an agreement can be reached” with the U.S. to release Gershkovich. He referenced Vadim Krasikov, a former Russian colonel who was convicted in 2019 of assassinating a former Chechen fighter in Germany.
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