A Russian man who tried to pass on classified information to the United States has been sentenced to 17 years in jail for “high treason“, Russian news agencies reported on Thursday.
Dmitry Shatresov, who was arrested in January 2024, “illegally obtained” state secrets and “intended to transfer them to an American intelligence representative” before he was caught by law enforcement, the RIA news agency reported.
He was convicted of high treason and sentenced to 17 years in a high-security prison on Wednesday, Moscow’s court service said on Telegram.
Russia has relentlessly pursued people it accuses of espionage and treason since sending troops into Ukraine in February 2022, arresting dozens of its own citizens and some foreigners.
Rights groups have expressed concern Moscow is using the charges to punish its critics, as well as those opposed to the Ukraine campaign, as espionage trials in Russia are highly secretive and held behind closed doors.