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Russian police officer jailed for CIA spying

November 12, 2015

Russia has sentenced a police officer to 13 years in prison for spying for the United States. There has been a marked increase in treason convictions in Russia since the Ukraine crisis.

https://p.dw.com/p/1H4dP
FSB Headquarters in Moscow.
Image: Getty Images

The Moscow District Court sentenced Yevgeny Chistov to 13 years in a high-security prison on treason charges, Russia's FSB domestic intelligence service said on Thursday.

"It was established that in 2011, when he served at the Russian Interior Ministry, E.A. Chistov established contact with US Central Intelligence Agency, acting on his own initiative and out of self interest," the FSB said in a statement.

The FSB said Chistov admitted to passing state secrets to the CIA in exchange for money.

"He was recruited by the CIA and fulfilled its tasks, collecting and handing over information classified as state secrets for three years in exchange for material reward," the FSB said.

Since the Ukraine crisis last year, several people have been convicted on espionage related charges in Russia.

Last month, a man was sentenced to 12 years in prison for passing secrets to Ukraine. In September, Russia and Estonia exchanged spies after Moscow allegedly kidnapped an Estonian intelligence agent.

According to Russian Supreme Court numbers, there were 15 treason convictions last year - a three-fold increase from the 2013.

cw/sms (AFP, dpa, Reuters)