Robert Woodland, a Russian-born American citizen, was convicted of drug-related charges by a Moscow court and sentenced to 12 and a half years in prison
MOSCOW – Robert Woodland, a Russian-born American citizen, was convicted on drug charges by a Moscow court and sentenced to 12 and a half years in prison on Thursday, court officials and his lawyers said.
He was found guilty of attempted trafficking of large quantities of illegal drugs as part of an organized group, according to an online statement released by court officials. His lawyers told reporters after the verdict was released Thursday that they will appeal the decision because Woodland’s guilt has not been proven.
Attorney Stanislav Kshevitsky also said Woodland suffers from unspecified mental health issues. He did not provide details, but said the court did not take these issues into consideration.
Russian media reported that his name matches that of an American citizen interviewed in 2020, who said he was born in the Perm region in 1991 and adopted by an American couple at age 2.
He said he traveled to Russia to find his mother and ended up meeting her on a TV show before deciding to move to Russia. Russian news agency Interfax cited judicial officials as saying that Woodland also holds Russian citizenship.
Arrests of Americans in Russia have become increasingly common as relations between Moscow and Washington sink to Cold War lows. Washington accuses Moscow of targeting its citizens and using them as political bargaining chips, but Russian authorities insist they have all broken the law.
Some were exchanged for Russians detained in the US, while others, the prospects of being released in an exchange are less clear.
Woodland was arrested in January. At the time, the US State Department said it was aware of reports of the recent detention of a US citizen and noted that it “has no higher priority than the safety of US citizens abroad”, but refrained from commenting further. , citing privacy concerns. considerations. The US Embassy in Moscow issued a similar statement at the time.
There was no immediate comment from U.S. authorities on the verdict.
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