On Jan 23 (Reuters), a Russian man was sentenced to 17 years in prison for passing classified information to a U.S. intelligence agency, as reported by the TASS state news agency on Thursday.
The Moscow City Court found Dmitry Arkadyevich Shatresov guilty of high treason in favor of the United States, according to Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) as cited by TASS. Shatresov, who is 40 years old and lived in a city near Moscow, was sentenced on Wednesday and worked in logistics.
The U.S. embassy spokesperson in Moscow did not respond immediately to a request for comment. Shatresov's lawyer declined to answer questions.
The court's press service released photos and a video of Shatresov, wearing glasses and a blue hooded sweatshirt, standing inside the defendant's courtroom cage while trying to shield his face from the camera.
Treason trials in Russia, which are held in closed sessions, rarely lead to an acquittal, according to official statistics. Since the conflict in Ukraine began nearly three years ago, the number of prosecutions for treason and espionage in Russia has significantly increased as intelligence agencies crack down on suspected foreign agents and spies.
Reportedly, Russia has charged at least 792 individuals with treason, espionage, or collaborating with a foreign state since the conflict started, according to the Russian lawyers' association Pervy Otdel (First Department).