A U.S. citizen named Eugene Spector, who has been imprisoned in Russia on bribery charges, was sentenced to an additional 15 years for espionage, according to reports from Russian media. Spector, a former executive in Russia’s medical equipment industry, was accused of espionage in August 2023, although the specific details of the allegations remain undisclosed.
His sentencing adds to his ongoing legal troubles, which began with bribery charges and has now escalated into espionage charges amid rising tensions in Russia’s relationship with the West.
Spector’s legal troubles began in 2022 when he was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for facilitating bribes to Anastasia Alekseyeva, a former aide to a high-ranking Russian official. Alekseyeva herself was sentenced to 12 years for accepting the bribes, which involved luxury vacations abroad.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, there has been a notable increase in the detention of individuals on charges of spying and gathering sensitive information, as well as the harsh treatment of those critical of the government. High-profile dissidents have faced severe sentences, and some have been involved in prisoner exchanges with Western nations.
Born in the Soviet Union, Spector later became a U.S. citizen after emigrating to the United States. He had lived in St. Petersburg for five years before his arrest in February 2020, and he speaks fluent Russian.
U.S. Citizen Eugene Spector Sentenced to 15 More Years in Russia for Espionage
Spector’s career prior to his arrest included working as an executive in the medical equipment industry in Russia. In addition to his business role, Spector was involved in the development of a cancer treatment, as noted by the European Patent Office, where he was listed as one of the inventors of an antibody used for cancer therapy.
Spector’s espionage charges are tied to alleged involvement in a bribery scheme from 2015 and 2016, where he reportedly facilitated the exchange of two expensive holiday packages worth approximately 4 million rubles ($43,000) for Alekseyeva. These charges were brought forth by Russian authorities in 2023, following his earlier conviction for bribery. Despite these allegations, the exact details of the espionage charges have not been revealed, leaving many questions about the specific nature of his alleged actions.
It remains unclear how the U.S. government will respond to Spector’s new sentence. As of 2023, Spector’s living conditions in prison were described as satisfactory by Alexey Melnikov, a Russian official. He was reportedly provided with board games, a TV, a refrigerator, and a kettle, and he is known to have an interest in financial literature and books on new technologies.
The continued detention and legal proceedings surrounding Spector are a part of a broader trend in Russia’s treatment of individuals accused of espionage, with diplomatic tensions rising between Russia and Western countries.
