American Citizen Sentenced to 15 Years in Russia for Espionage

Eugene Spector, a Russian-born U.S. citizen, was convicted of spying for the Pentagon in a closed-door trial, accused of leaking biotechnology secrets.

Eugene Spector, already serving a bribery sentence in Russia, received an additional 13-year term for espionage, resulting in a total 15-year sentence in a maximum-security penal colony.
Russian authorities allege Spector collected genetic and biomedical data for the Pentagon to develop a genetic screening system targeting the Russian population.
The trial was conducted behind closed doors due to classified materials, and it remains unclear how Spector pleaded to the charges.
Spector previously served as chairman of a Russian medical company specializing in cancer drugs and was arrested in 2020 on bribery charges involving a former deputy prime minister's aide.
The U.S. State Department has acknowledged the case and is monitoring the situation, as tensions over detained Americans in Russia continue to strain relations between the two countries.