U.S. Citizen Sentenced in Russia for Kidnapping

A court in Russia's Kaliningrad region sentenced an unnamed U.S. citizen to six years in jail and fined him 100,000 roubles for kidnapping his son. He attempted to cross the Russian border illegally with his four-year-old son without the mother’s consent. This follows a significant prisoner exchange between Russia and other nations.

A court in Russia's Kaliningrad region has sentenced an American citizen to six years in jail and imposed a fine of 100,000 roubles, equivalent to $1,078, for kidnapping his son, as reported by the regional court on Telegram.

The court disclosed that the unnamed American attempted to illegally cross the Russian border in July 2023 with his four-year-old Russian son without obtaining the mother’s permission.

This incident is set against the backdrop of a significant prisoner exchange in August involving Russia, the United States, and several other countries. The exchange saw 24 prisoners being swapped, with 16 moving from Russia to the West and eight returning from the West to Russia.

(With inputs from agencies.)