The charges against Gene Spector fall under Article 276 (espionage) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, potentially resulting in a prison sentence of 10 to 20 years.
Gene Spector, a US citizen and former chairman of the board of Medpolymerprom Group, a medical equipment company, has been authorized for detention by the Lefortovo court in Moscow
However, specific details of the case have not been disclosed, as the court hearing took place behind closed doors due to classified case materials. Gene Spector, originally from St. Petersburg and later a US citizen, had been previously sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for Gene Spector’s involvement in bribing an aide to former Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich.
The White House spokesperson, John Kirby, stated that the Biden administration is currently gathering information about Gene Spector case and refrained from commenting on the new charges. Meanwhile, the State Department indicated its awareness of the charges against a US citizen in Russia and is actively monitoring the situation. This development adds to the mounting pressure on President Biden to secure the release of several Americans, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former US Marine Paul Whelan, who are detained in Russia on disputed grounds.
It should be noted that Gene Spector case joins the ongoing dialogue between the US and Russia concerning detainee exchanges
Significantly, Gershkovich was detained under suspicion of engaging in espionage, an allegation that both the US government and the Wall Street Journal have denied. Whelan was uplifted by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who reassured him of the administration’s endeavors to facilitate his repatriation. This scenario bears resemblance to the recent liberation of WNBA luminary Brittney Griner through a widely recognized exchange of prisoners, wherein she was swapped for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
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