Post by : Kanchan Chandel
Photo: AFP
Ex-US Paratrooper Sentenced to 13 Years in Russian Prison for Drug Smuggling
Moscow: A Russian court sentenced U.S. citizen Michael Travis Leake to 13 years in prison on drug smuggling charges, according to a statement from Moscow's court service. Leake, a musician and former U.S. paratrooper, was arrested in June 2023 and found guilty of selling drugs on a large scale.
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Details on how Leake pleaded were not disclosed, and Reuters was unable to reach his lawyer for comment. Leake is among approximately a dozen Americans currently detained in Russia. Amid rising tensions between the two countries, Washington has urged its citizens to leave Russia, warning of potential arrest and harassment.
A U.S. embassy spokesperson in Moscow did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding Leake's conviction.
In addition to Leake, another American, Robert Romanov Woodland, was sentenced to 12 and a half years in prison for drug smuggling earlier this month.
Leake was convicted alongside a female defendant. Brief videos released by the court service showed Leake and his co-defendant standing in a court cage, with Leake appearing grim and shaking his head during the proceedings.
In his early 50s, Leake was a former songwriter for the rock band "Lovi Noch" ("Catch the Night"). He had also worked as an English teacher in Moscow and assisted in translating songs for Russian bands.
The case has drawn attention to the precarious situation for Americans in Russia, especially given the heightened diplomatic tensions reminiscent of the Cold War era.
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