A Russian court rejected an appeal of a US soldier who was sentenced in June to nearly four years in a penal colony after being found guilty of stealing $113 from his girlfriend and making threats to kill her, the court said on Monday.
Gordon Black, a 34-year-old US staff sergeant, was detained on May 2 in Russia’s far eastern city of Vladivostok after an argument with his girlfriend, Alexandra Vashchuk, whom he had met while in South Korea.
He pleaded not guilty to threatening to kill Vashchuk but admitted he was partially guilty of taking the money, though out of necessity.
A panel of judges in the Primorsky Krai Court considered Black’s appeal of the verdict from a Vladivostok district court but left it unchanged, the court said in statement in a social media post.
Black’s defense argued in its appeal that the original verdict was illegal and unfair, and asked for a new trial, Russia’s RIA state news agency reported earlier.
According to Black’s defense lawyer, the verdict did not rely on case materials, ignored evidence confirming Black’s innocence, and incorrectly interpreted his actions toward the victim, RIA reported.
Black is among a number of Americans held in Russia on a variety of charges.
Last week, dual Russian-American citizen Ksenia Karelina was sentenced to 12 years in prison on Thursday after a Russian court found her guilty of treason for donating $51.07 to a charity supporting Ukraine.
Russian court upholds sentence of jailed US soldier Gordon Black
https://arab.news/mcv8a
Russian court upholds sentence of jailed US soldier Gordon Black
- Gordon Black was detained on May 2 in Russia’s far eastern city of Vladivostok after an argument with his girlfriend
- Black’s defense argued in its appeal that the original verdict was illegal and unfair, and asked for a new trial
Spain cites Israeli ‘insults’ in decision to withdraw ambassador
- With the ambassador’s removal, Spain’s diplomatic representation will now be handled by its charge d’affaires
- “It’s become clear that Spain’s goodwill in maintaining cordial relations hasn’t been reciprocated,” Albares said
MADRID: Spain on Thursday explained its decision to permanently withdraw its ambassador to Israel, citing repeated “insults and slanders” by the country.
Veteran diplomat Ana Maria Salomon Perez was officially relieved of her duties on Tuesday at the proposal of Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares.
She was recalled from Tel Aviv in September after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez unveiled measures designed to “stop the genocide in Gaza, pursue its perpetrators and support the Palestinian population.”
With the ambassador’s removal, Spain’s diplomatic representation will now be handled by its charge d’affaires, a lower-ranking official whose status is meant to reflect the downgraded relations.
Israel withdrew its ambassador to Madrid in 2024 after Spain recognized Palestinian statehood and has since also been represented by a charge d’affaires.
“It’s become clear that Spain’s goodwill in maintaining cordial relations hasn’t been reciprocated — not diplomatically — through an increase in Israel’s representation in Spain, nor by restraining insults and slanders aimed at the Spanish people,” Albares said.
“As a result, keeping an ambassador who had been called back for consultations for six months no longer made sense,” he added during an interview with Spanish public television.
Spain’s decision to definitively retire the ambassador follows years of tense exchanges between the two governments.
Sanchez, one of the most vocal critics of Israel’s war on Gaza, has also opposed the US-Israeli military strikes on Iran that began on February 28.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sarr has accused the Spanish government of “standing with tyrants” by opposing the US-Israeli attacks on Iran.
He also accused Spain of being “complicit in inciting genocide against Jews and war crimes” after it recognized a Palestinian state.
Spain only established diplomatic ties with Israel in 1986 following the death of dictator General Francisco Franco in 1975.
Under Franco, Spain avoided recognizing Israel and maintained closer diplomatic ties with Arab states.
