Gordon Black, convicted of theft and threatening, received a punishment from the Russian court at the time of the convergence of US-Russian relations.
American soldier Gordon Black shortened the Russian court on Monday seven months almost four years of imprisonment, which he granted him last year for theft and threatening to kill his girlfriend. TASR reports this based on the AFP agency referring to Russian media reports.
Black condemned in June 2024 in Vladivostok on the Russian Far East to three years and nine months in prison. He appealed against the verdict, and the court there was punished on Monday to “three years and two months of imprisonment”, the Russian news agency TASS said.
His lawyer asked the court to abandon his sentence for threats and re -qualified the conviction of theft to less serious charges, the Russian daily Kommersant said.
Black was arrested on May 2, 2024 in Vladivostok, where he was visiting Russian Alexandra Vaščuková, whom he met and established a relationship during his service in South Korea. He was detained after this Russia reported him to the police after a quarrel.
Vaščuková accused Black of stolen about 10,000 rubles (100 euros) and physically attacked her. Black admitted “partial guilt” in terms of theft, but he refused to kill himself by killing.
According to several American media, this woman could be a “trap” targeted to arrest an American citizen.
The verdict was mitigated at the time of the gradual thawing of US-Russian relations and the convergence with Moscow, which US President Donald Trump is trying to see, writes AFP.
The agency also recalls that in February they released American citizen Kalob Byers in Russia, only a few days after he was detained at the Moscow Airport Vnukovo after finding rubber candy with marijuana. In Russia, however, several American citizens are still detained, including Xenie Karelin’s ballerina or English teacher, Stephen Hubbard’s retirement.
