Another American citizen charged with espionage by Russia.

Russia ​Charges American Citizen with Espionage

Russia has charged a jailed⁣ American‍ citizen with espionage, increasing the pressure on ‍President Joe Biden’s administration. The⁢ administration has been working to bring several detained citizens back⁢ home from Russia.

Russia’s RIA and TASS news‍ agencies reported that Moscow’s Lefortovo court ⁣has remanded ⁣Gene Spector in pre-trial custody on suspicion of ⁤espionage, which carries a ⁣jail term of 10 to 20 years.

“The court⁣ granted the request of the investigation to detain a U.S. citizen Spector on charges under Article 276 (espionage) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation,” TASS quoted an unidentified source at the court as saying.

The news agencies did not provide⁣ any details about the new⁢ charges, but they mentioned that the court session was held behind closed doors due to the classified nature of the case materials.

Spector is already serving a⁢ 3-1/2-year sentence after⁢ pleading guilty to his involvement in bribing an assistant of former Russian deputy prime ​minister Arkady Dvorkovich.

Spector, originally from St. Petersburg, moved to the United ⁣States. Before his arrest in 2021, he served as chairman of the board of Medpolymerprom Group, a company specializing in cancer-curing drugs.

White House spokesperson John Kirby stated on CNN that the administration is still gathering information about the case and has⁣ no comment at this time.

A State Department spokesperson acknowledged the⁣ reports of ⁤charges against a U.S. citizen in Russia and stated that they are monitoring the situation.

Efforts to Bring Detained Americans Back

The ⁤United States has been ⁤in ‍discussions ​with Russia regarding the return of several American citizens detained in ⁢Moscow, including Wall ‌Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul​ Whelan.

The Kremlin has confirmed that discussions have taken place, but it has emphasized that ​swaps can only be considered after trials and has cautioned against public statements⁢ that could undermine the efforts.

Russia’s ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, recently stated​ that Moscow and Washington have an effective channel for prisoner swaps.

Gershkovich, who works for the Journal, was arrested in‍ March on espionage charges that he, the Journal, and Washington deny. Russia claims he was caught red-handed.

Former U.S. Marine ⁤Whelan is currently serving a 16-year⁤ sentence in a Russian penal colony after being convicted of espionage charges that the U.S. also considers to be baseless.⁤ U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken ​spoke with Whelan earlier this month.

Last December, ⁢U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner was released in a prisoner swap after being sentenced to nine years in a penal colony‌ for possessing vape cartridges containing cannabis oil, which is​ banned in Russia. The judicial process was labeled a⁤ sham by Washington.

Concerns⁣ for U.S. Citizens​ in⁣ Russia

Since the war in⁤ Ukraine began in February⁤ 2022, the United States has repeatedly advised its citizens to leave Russia due to the risk of arbitrary arrest or⁣ harassment by Russian law enforcement agencies.

In⁣ June, U.S. musician and⁤ former paratrooper Michael Travis Leake ​appeared in court locked in a metal cage after being arrested⁣ on drug dealing⁤ charges. Reuters was unable ‌to reach him for comment.

Brazil recently rejected a U.S. request to extradite Sergey Cherkasov, who Western intelligence agencies believe is a Russian spy attempting to infiltrate ​the International Criminal Court (ICC) using a false identity.

(Reporting by Maxim Rodionov, Kanishka Singh, and Lidia Kelly; additional reporting by Simon Lewis; Editing by Daniel Wallis, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Nick Macfie, and Jonathan‍ Oatis)