Russia reduces prison sentence for US soldier convicted of theft
MOSCOW, April 7, (AP): An appellate court in Russia's far east on Monday reduced the prison sentence for an American soldier convicted of stealing and making threats of murder, Russia's state news agency RIA Novosti reported. Staff Sgt Gordon Black, 34, flew to the Pacific port city of Vladivostok to see his girlfriend and was arrested in May 2024 after she accused him of stealing from her, according to US officials and Russian authorities.
A month later, a court in Vladivostok convicted him and sentenced him to three years and nine months in prison. Black was also ordered to pay 10,000 rubles ($115 at the time) in damages. Black lost one appeal in a regional court that upheld his sentence, but the judge in the 9th Court of Cassation on Monday agreed to reduce his sentence to three years and two months in prison.
Black's defense had asked the court to acquit him of making threats of murder and reduce the punishment for theft, a request the judge partially sustained, according to the RIA report. Russia has jailed a number of Americans in recent years as tensions between Moscow and the West grew. Some, like corporate security executive Paul Whelan, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and teacher Marc Fogel, were designated by the US government as wrongfully detained and released in prisoner swaps.
A few others remain jailed in Russia on drug or assault convictions. They include Robert Gilman, 72, who was handed a 3 1/2-year sentence after being found guilty of assaulting a police officer following a drunken disturbance on a train, and Travis Leake, a musician who was convicted on drug charges and sentenced to 13 years in prison in July 2024.
Black was on leave and in the process of returning to his home base at Fort Cavazos, Texas, from South Korea, where he had been stationed at Camp Humphreys with the Eighth Army. The U.S. Army said Black signed out for his move back home and, "instead of returning to the continental United States, Black flew from Incheon, Republic of Korea, through China to Vladivostok, Russia, for personal reasons.' Under Pentagon policy, service members must get clearance for any international travel from a security manager or commander.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Kuwait News Agency
16 hours ago
- Kuwait News Agency
Russian Ambassador praises Kuwait's foreign policy
A+ A- الشؤون السياسية 12/06/2025 LOC23:33 20:33 GMT KUWAIT, June 12 (KUNA) -- Russian Ambassador to Kuwait Vladimir Zheltov praises as "solid and historic the relations between his country and the State of Kuwait, saying the relations are based on mutual understanding and mutual respect, and common interests." The wise leadership of Kuwait maintain a balanced approach to dealing with various regional and international issues, he said in a speech to a ceremony hosted by his embassy on Thursday. Kuwait's Assistant Foreign Minister for European Affairs Sadiq Marafi and a number of senior diplomats and dignitaries attended the ceremony marking Russia's national day. Zheltov said that "Kuwait was the first GCC country to have diplomatic relations with Russia in 1963" reviewing historical milestones that began at the beginning of the twentieth century "when Russian ships visited the State of Kuwait during the reign of Sheikh Mubarak." He also said, "Russia's national day, which has only been in existence for 35 years, links the present to a rich past that spans more than a thousand years." On the sidelines of the ceremony Sadiq Marafi briefed the press saying that the relations between Russia and Kuwait have spanned since 1963, and that he is looking forward for more cooperation in the future. Regarding investment opportunities, Ambassador Marafi said, "A joint committee will convene on the sidelines of the energy summit to discuss investment opportunities," noting the "noble growth in tourism between the two countries in the recent years." موجز الاخبار الطقس العملات مواعيد الإقلاع والوصول اصدارات كونا
Kuwait Times
a day ago
- Kuwait Times
Marines arrive in LA; Kuwaitis urged to lie low
LOS ANGELES: Hundreds of US Marines arrived in Los Angeles on Tuesday after President Donald Trump ordered their deployment in response to protests against immigration arrests and despite objections by state officials. The 700 elite troops will join around 4,000 National Guard soldiers, amping up the militarization of the tense situation in the sprawling city, which is home to millions of foreign-born and Latino residents. The small-scale and largely peaceful demonstrations — marred by sporadic but violent clashes between police and protesters — were entering their fifth day. The Kuwaiti Embassy in Washington on Monday urged Kuwaiti citizens in California, especially in Los Angeles, to be cautious and careful and follow local authorities' guidelines due to ongoing demonstrations and protests there. The embassy also asked Kuwaiti citizens to call it in case of an emergency. In downtown LA's Little Tokyo neighborhood at night Monday, scores of protesters faced off with security officials in riot gear, some shooting fireworks at officers who fired back volleys of tear gas. The unrest was sparked by a sudden intensification last week of Trump's signature campaign to find and deport undocumented migrants, who he claims have mounted an 'invasion' of the United States. California officials have stressed the majority of protesters have been peaceful — and that they were capable of maintaining law and order themselves. Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom wrote on X that US Marines 'shouldn't be deployed on American soil facing their own countrymen to fulfill the deranged fantasy of a dictatorial President. This is un-American.' But Trump has branded the LA protesters 'professional agitators and insurrectionists'. 'If I didn't 'SEND IN THE TROOPS' to Los Angeles the last three nights, that once beautiful and great City would be burning to the ground right now,' he wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday. Trump has called for Newsom's arrest, while the president's ultra-loyal speaker in the House of Representatives, Republican Mike Johnson, on Tuesday declared the California governor 'ought to be tarred and feathered'. Earlier, demonstrators marching with banners and handmade signs yelled 'ICE out of LA' and 'National Guard go away' — a reference to immigration agents and Guard soldiers. One small business owner in the city, whose property was graffitied during the protests, was supportive of Trump's strong-arm tactics. 'I think it's needed to stop the vandalism,' she told AFP, declining to give her name. Others were horrified. 'They're meant to be protecting us, but instead, they're like, being sent to attack us,' Kelly Diemer, 47, told AFP. 'This is not a democracy anymore.' LA police have detained dozens of protesters in recent days, while authorities in San Francisco and other US cities have also made arrests. Trump's use of the military is an 'incredibly rare' move for a US president, Rachel VanLandingham, a professor at Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles and a former lieutenant colonel in the US Air Force, told AFP. The National Guard — a fully equipped reserve armed forces — is usually controlled by state governors and used typically on US soil in response to natural disasters. The Guard has not been deployed by a president over the objections of a state governor since 1965, at the height of the civil rights movement. Deployment of regular troops, such as the Marines, on US soil is even more unusual. US law largely prevents the use of the military as a policing force — absent an insurrection. Speculation is growing that Trump could invoke the Insurrection Act giving him a free hand to use regular troops for law enforcement around the country. Trump 'is trying to use emergency declarations to justify bringing in first the National Guard and then mobilizing Marines,' law professor Frank Bowman, at the University of Missouri, told AFP. Bowman said the 'suspicion' is that Trump is aiming to provoke the kind of all-out crisis which would then justify extreme measures. 'That kind of spectacle feeds the notion that there is a genuine emergency and, you know, a genuine uprising against the lawful authorities, and that allows him to begin to use even more force.' The state of California has sued to block the use of the Guard troops and Newsom said he would also sue against the Marines deployment. In a statement on Monday, Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said the department had not been notified that any Marines were traveling to the city and that their arrival 'presents a significant logistical and operational challenge'. – Agencies
Arab Times
a day ago
- Arab Times
US Embassy in Kuwait fully staffed
KUWAIT CITY, June 12: The US Embassy in Kuwait has announced that there has been no change in its staff and the embassy is operating at full capacity. This clarification comes after the US administration announced a reduction in the size of its diplomatic mission in Iraq. The Embassy's statement noted that President Donald Trump remains committed to the safety of American citizens and routinely reviews conditions at all US embassies. As a result of such assessments, the decision was made to downsize the mission in Iraq. Late Wednesday, Trump confirmed moving American personnel from the Middle East amidst report the Israeli occupation may launch a strike against Iran, as Washington and Tehran get ready for a 6th round of nuclear talks. US personnel 'are being moved out because it could be a very dangerous place,' Trump told reporters. 'We have given notice to move out and we will see what happens,' he said. The Israeli occupation and Iran exchanged military strikes last year amidst heightened tension in the region because of the Israeli occupation's genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza Strip, as well as attacks on Syria and Lebanon. An Iraqi government official confirmed Tuesday non-essential staffers of the US Embassy in Baghdad were evacuated as part of safety procedures related to the US presence not only in Iraq but in some countries of the Middle East region. The US Embassy in Kuwait affirmed Wednesday night that no changes have been made to its staffing levels and that it continued to operate normally. The United States is drawing down the presence of staffers who are not deemed essential to operations in the Middle East and their loved ones due to the potential for regional unrest, the State Department and military said. The State Department said it has ordered the departure of all nonessential personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad based on its latest review and a commitment 'to keeping Americans safe, both at home and abroad.' The embassy had already been on limited staffing, and the order will not affect a large number of personnel. The department, however, also is authorizing the departure of nonessential personnel and family members from Bahrain and Kuwait. That gives them the option of leaving those countries at government expense and with government assistance. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth 'has authorized the voluntary departure of military dependents from locations' across the region, U.S. Central Command said in a statement. The command 'is monitoring the developing tension in the Middle East.' Speaking at the Kennedy Center in Washington on Wednesday evening, President Donald Trump said, 'They are being moved out, because it could be a dangerous place, and we'll see what happens. We've given notice to move out, and we'll see what happens.' Tensions in the region have been rising in recent days as talks between the U.S. and Iran over its rapidly advancing nuclear program appear to have hit an impasse. The talks seek to limit Iran's nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of some of the crushing economic sanctions that the U.S. has imposed on the Islamic Republic. Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful. The next round of talks - the sixth - had been tentatively scheduled for this weekend in Oman, according to two U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss diplomatic matters. However, those officials said Wednesday that it looked increasingly unlikely that the talks would happen. Trump, who has previously said Israel or the U.S. could carry out airstrikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities if negotiations failed, gave a less-than-optimistic view about reaching a deal with Iran, telling the New York Post's 'Pod Force One' podcast that he was 'getting more and more less confident about' a deal. 'They seem to be delaying, and I think that's a shame. I'm less confident now than I would have been a couple of months ago. Something happened to them,' he said in the interview recorded Monday and released Wednesday. Iran's mission to the U.N. posted on social media that 'threats of overwhelming force won't change the facts.' 'Iran is not seeking a nuclear weapon, and U.S. militarism only fuels instability,' the Iranian mission wrote. Iranian Defense Minister Gen. Aziz Nasirzadeh separately told journalists Wednesday that he hoped talks with the U.S. would yield results, though Tehran stood ready to respond. 'If conflict is imposed on us, the opponent's casualties will certainly be more than ours, and in that case, America must leave the region, because all its bases are within our reach,' he said. 'We have access to them, and we will target all of them in the host countries without hesitation.' Meanwhile, the Board of Governors at the International Atomic Energy Agency was potentially set to vote on a measure to censure Iran. That could set in motion an effort to snap back United Nations sanctions on Iran via a measure in Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers that's still active until October. Trump withdrew from that agreement in his first term. Earlier Wednesday, a statement from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, a Mideastbased effort overseen by the British navy, issued a warning to ships in the region that it 'has been made aware of increased tensions within the region which could lead to an escalation of military activity having a direct impact on mariners.' It urged caution in the Arabian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz. It did not name Iran, though those waterways have seen Iranian ship seizures and attacks in the past. The top U.S. military officer for the Middle East, Gen. Erik Kurilla, was scheduled to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday, but that testimony has now been postponed, according to the committee's website. The Pentagon has not commented on the postponement. Meanwhile, Iraq's state-run Iraqi News Agency said in a statement attributed to an unnamed government official that the evacuation of some nonessential employees from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad was part of 'procedures related to the U.S. diplomatic presence in a number of Middle Eastern countries, not just Iraq' and that Iraqi officials 'have not recorded any security indicators that warrant an evacuation.' 'We reiterate that all security indicators and briefings support the escalating assessments of stability and the restoration of internal security,' the statement said.
