The State Department labeled the allegations against Robert Shonov, a Russian national, as baseless and lacking credibility.
The U.S. State Department has issued a strong condemnation regarding the recent detention of Robert Shonov, a former employee of a U.S. consulate in Russia
Robert Shonov was apprehended on May 15 in Vladivostok, situated in Russia’s Far East, under accusations of engaging in unlawful secret collaboration with foreign entities.
In a statement released on May 16, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller revealed that Robert Shonov had served for over a quarter-century at the now-defunct U.S. Consulate in Vladivostok. Following a directive issued by the Russian government in April 2021 mandating the dismissal of all local staff affiliated with U.S. diplomatic missions, Robert Shonov found employment with a company contracted to offer services to the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.
Miller emphasized that Robert Shonov’s responsibilities at the time of his arrest were limited to compiling summaries of media content from publicly accessible Russian sources. This, according to Miller, highlights the exploitation of Russia‘s “confidential cooperation” law as a means to suppress its own citizens.
Details regarding the exact timing of Robert Shonov’s apprehension and the specifics of the allegations against him were notably absent from the TASS news report, which broke the story
The report did mention, however, that a Moscow court was slated to deliberate on May 18 on whether to prolong Robert Shonov’s detention for a span of three months. Presently confined in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison, Robert Shonov faces potential imprisonment of up to eight years on the charges laid against him.
Interestingly, the same facility is housing Evan Gershkovich, an American journalist from The Wall Street Journal, who has been in custody since his arrest on March 29 on espionage charges. Both Gershkovich and the U.S. government have denied the allegations.
The arrest of Robert Shonov and the ongoing detainment of Gershkovich come amidst an escalating atmosphere following Russia’s extensive military involvement in Ukraine beginning in February 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s tightening grip on dissent and critique of government policies has also come under international scrutiny.
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