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Moscow Court Sentences Ex-Diplomat to 12 Years for Passing Secrets to U.S. Intelligence

Authorities withheld specifics of the alleged disclosures, with only FSB arrest footage made public.

Overview

  • The Moscow City Court found Arseniy Konovalov guilty of high treason and ordered 12 years in a maximum‑security penal colony plus a 100,000‑ruble fine.
  • The FSB said he transferred classified information to American intelligence for money during a long posting in the United States.
  • Kommersant reported he served as second secretary at Russia’s consulate in Houston from 2014 to 2017.
  • Konovalov was detained by the FSB in March 2024, with state media later publishing video showing his ambush in a van and subsequent court appearances.
  • Officials did not disclose what was passed or which U.S. agency was involved, and unverified Russian reports suggesting CIA recruitment remain unconfirmed as U.S. agencies have not commented.