A Moscow court has taken a dual U.S.-Russian citizen into pre-trial detention for charges of espionage, as indicated by court records released on Thursday. Gene Spector, who holds both Russian and American citizenship, is currently serving a prison sentence for bribery and now faces the prospect of a 20-year prison term if found guilty. However, limited information is accessible beyond the Moscow court ruling because authorities handle espionage cases confidentially due to their association with classified information.
In 2020, Spector, who was born in Russia and later became a U.S. citizen, was apprehended on allegations of “mediating” a bribe intended for the assistant of former Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich. The bribe took the form of vacations in Thailand and the Dominican Republic. His involvement led to a 12-year prison sentence for the assistant, Anastasia Alexeyeva.
Spector admitted to the charges and reached a settlement with investigators. In 2021, authorities convicted him, but later overturned the verdict, leading to the imposition of a 3.5-year prison term in September 2022.
Dual citizenship
Having spent part of his life in Russia and later relocating to the United States, Spector holds a unique dual citizenship. He held the position of general director at Russia’s Medpolimerprom, a consortium engaged in producing plastic medical equipment.
Spector’s profile mentions his name as one of the inventors associated with a potentially effective cancer treatment agent. This information comes from the RBC business news website, which cites Russia’s intellectual property data.
Despite his dual citizenship status, Spector still retains Russian citizenship, as noted by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).
In recent years, several U.S. citizens have faced severe sentences in Russia. The United States accuses Moscow of using them as bargaining chips in efforts to secure the release of Russians held in the U.S.
CBS News reports that the United States has not indicated that it views Spector’s detention as unjust.