Russia: US Army Sergeant Jailed for Nearly 4 Years

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Facts

  • A court in Russia's far eastern city of Vladivostok on Wednesday sentenced US Staff Sgt. Gordon Black to three years and nine months in a Russian penal colony after finding him guilty of stealing ₽10K ($113) from his girlfriend and threatening to kill her.[1]
  • Black, a 34-year-old married American soldier, was also ordered to compensate the woman — with whom he reportedly had an on-and-off romantic relationship that began in South Korea — for material damages worth ₽10K.[2]
  • Prosecutors claimed that Black had grabbed his Russian girlfriend by the neck during a quarrel in a friend's apartment in Vladivostok — which she considered a threat to her life — and stole the funds to pay for his needs.[3]
  • After completing a posting in South Korea, Black reportedly traveled to Russia — without his superiors' permission — to visit his girlfriend before heading back home to Texas. He was detained last month on charges of criminal misconduct.[4]
  • Though he denied making death threats against the woman, he reportedly pleaded guilty to some counts of theft. His lawyer has said that the sentence would be appealed.[5]
  • Black's conviction comes as the trial of US journalist Evan Gershkovich — detained by Russian security agents on an espionage charge more than a year ago — is set to be held behind closed doors on June 26.[6]

Sources: [1]POLITICO, [2]Forbes, [3]TASS, [4]Verity, [5]Bloomberg and [6]New York Times.

Narratives

  • Anti-Russia narrative, as provided by Associated Press. Arrests of US citizens on trumped-up charges have become increasingly common in Russia, as the Kremlin wants to use them as political bargaining chips. Black's sentence — much stricter than what a Russian citizen would have received for domestic disputes — shows the US must expedite efforts to stop Moscow from holding Washington hostage.
  • Pro-Russia narrative, as provided by RT. Black's conviction isn't related to the frayed relationship between Russia and the US. He is paying the price for not returning to Texas after leaving South Korea, for breaking army rules, for his extramarital affair, for causing considerable harm to a Russian woman, and for committing theft. Black must face the consequences of his willful criminal actions.

Predictions