Black's conviction has presented another challenge for U.S. authorities already working to gain the release of several Americans in Russian jails on what the White House says are spurious charges.
Does it? He isn’t a political prisoner. It sounds like he’s a horny, apparently violent dumbass who secretly went to Russia against military rules (and common sense) and then did crimes.
MOSCOW — A Russian court has sentenced a United States soldier to nearly four years in prison on charges of theft and threatening to murder, the latest in a series of arrested American citizens in Russia amid simmering tensions over Ukraine and other issues.
Without informing superiors, Black traveled to Russia's Far Eastern city of Vladivostok, entering via China, to see his Russian girlfriend with whom he had started a relationship during his posting overseas.
Last month, Vashchuk filed a police report that accused Black of stealing 10,000 rubles — just over a hundred dollars — from her purse and attempting to choke her after the couple had an argument.
Black's conviction has presented another challenge for U.S. authorities already working to gain the release of several Americans in Russian jails on what the White House says are spurious charges.
The White House says it has made substantial offers aimed at gaining the release of Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, a former Marine who was sentenced to 16 years on espionage charges in 2018.
In recent years, the Biden administration has also cut deals with Moscow to secure the release of WNBA basketball star Brittney Griner and former Marine Trevor Reed from Russian prisons.
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