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Prosecutors Seek 8 Years 8 Months in Munich Trial Over Alleged Russia‑Linked Espionage

Judges will hear the defense’s closing plea next week ahead of a verdict.

Overview

  • The Federal Public Prosecutor demanded eight years and eight months for the main defendant and one-year suspended sentences for both co-defendants.
  • Prosecutors say the trio surveilled German military sites and planned arson and sabotage against infrastructure, including key rail lines, through April 2024.
  • The main defendant is also accused of having fought in eastern Ukraine from 2014 to 2016 as part of a terrorist organization, a claim he rejects.
  • The prosecution alleges close ties to Russian intelligence and says information was relayed via the Pyatnashka brigade’s commander, whom experts link to the GRU.
  • The defendants deny being spies, describing their remarks as jokes, and the defense plans to seek acquittal in its closing plea next week.