The Russian court confirmed on Tuesday that a The US soldier will be in prison at least two months after being arrested for theft.
“The Pervomaisky District Court of Vladivostok detained American soldier Gordon Black until July 2 under the “theft” article of the Russian Criminal Code, said Yelena Oleneva, the spokeswoman of the court.
Staff Sergeant Black was detained in Russia last week and will be remanded in custody, the court said in a separate statement, referring only to “US citizen B.”
The court heard Black was accused of “covertly stealing the property” of a man referred to as “citizen T” which caused “substantial damage” to the alleged victim.
The court was told that his arrest was to prevent him from evading the charges.
“The court came to the conclusion that the US citizen B., under the weight of the accusations, can hide from the preliminary investigation bodies and the court in order to avoid responsibility, thereby hindering the proceedings in the case,” the information states.
This was reported by NBC News on Monday it was reported that the soldier was detained after going from his location in South Korea to the city of Vladivostok in the far east of Russia.
He was on his way home to the United States and stopped in Russia to meet a woman he was romantically involved with, officials said.
Black was detained on Thursday, a US military spokesman said on Monday.
State news agency TASS reported on Tuesday that the Russian Foreign Ministry office in Vladivostok said his arrest had nothing to do with politics.
“This case has nothing to do with politics or espionage. As far as we understand it is a domestic crime [is suspected] In this case. That is why the mission of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia in Vladivostok does not closely monitor the work of the US citizen,” the mission told TASS.
Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, said Monday he was “deeply troubled” by the news. He said in X that the arrest “is a warning to all Americans that, as the State Department says, it is not safe to travel to Russia.”
Current travel guide The US State Department advises against all travel to Russia.
There are several other Americans in Russian prisons, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich He was arrested last Marchand former Sea Paul Whelan, who was arrested in 2018. The US government said both were wrongfully detained.
Meanwhile, it became known that another US citizen was arrested and detained in Russia. According to the information provided by the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti on the Telegram channel, a person named “Russell William” was sentenced to 10 days in prison on the charge of “petty hooliganism”.
RIA reports with reference to Ren TV that the American “got drunk, entered the children’s library through the window and slept there.”
Associated Press informed Detention of US citizens in Russia has reached Cold War levels, he said.
Courtney Kube and Mosheh Wins contributed.