This content was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.
A court in the Russian Far East has found guilty and sentencing a U.S. Army lieutenant who reportedly broke military guidelines to visit Russia with his Soviet girl in May for allegedly attacking and threatening her, amid claims that Moscow is holding foreigners in exchange for money during slave markets.
The man, 32- yr- old Gordon Black, had , pleaded no guilty , in the Pervomaisky area court in Vladivostok to the charges but acknowledged hitting the woman, Aleksandra Vashchuk, after he said she slyly attacked him and tried to prevent him from leaving the apartment they were sharing.
Russian authorities had requested that Black receive a virtually five-year sentence.
He was also ordered to pay Vashchuk 10, 000 rubles ($ 115 ) in a related civil case.
Black’s attorney claimed that his client maintains his sincerity and may file an appeal.
According to U.S. government, Black had been assigned before returning home to Texas and was supposed to China from South Korea without telling his bosses.
Around the time of Black’s imprisonment in early May, Russian officials reported detaining another U. S. member, identified as William Russell Nycum, on what they called “petty violence” and drinking fees in a separate event.
The detentions have heightened suspicions that Russian authorities are attempting to use Americans as prisoners in possible negotiations over the Ukraine war and other international security issues.
Russia has other U. S. citizens that Washington insists are being held unfairly or on dubious grounds in its jails, including RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, and ex- Marine Paul Whelan.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry insists the cases involving Black and Nycum are not political.
Americans should avoid visiting Russia because of” the single-selection of Americans for detention by Russian government security officials,” according to a State Department advisory from September.
A significant offer, according to the State Department, was rejected by Moscow in December to allow for the release of Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, two other Americans held in Russia on espionage charges.
Russian officials have remained largely silent about any negotiations to free the Americans. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has repeatedly said that while “certain contacts” on swaps continue,” they must be carried out in absolute silence”.
Sergei Ryabkov, the deputy foreign minister, stated in an interview with the state news agency TASS on June 19 that Moscow was awaiting Washington’s response to its suggestions for possible prisoner swaps.
” I am not authorized to go into details, but let’s put it this way: according to diplomatic protocols, there is a notion of ‘ the ball being in somebody’s court.’ In this situation, the ball is on the U. S.’s side, we are expecting a response from them to those ideas that were conveyed to them”, Ryabov said.
Russia is reportedly requesting the release of Vadim Krasikov, who was detained in Germany in 2021 for the murder of Zelimkhan” Tornike” Khangoshvili, a Georgian citizen of Chechen descent who had fought Russian troops in Chechnya and later sought asylum in Germany.
When asked about releasing Gershkovich, Russian President Vladimir Putin made an appearance to reference Krasikov by referring to a prisoner of war with a friend of his for “liquidating a bandit” who allegedly killed Russian soldiers during separatist fighting in Chechnya.
