According to a new report, an American national was handed a four-year prison sentence on Tuesday, after he was accused of attempting to depart a Moscow airport by air with Kalashnikov assault rifle stocks packed in his luggage.
Per Reuters, which cited Russian state news outlet RIA Novosti, the unidentified U.S. citizen, a collector of Kalashnikov firearms, failed to file a customs declaration after he bought two of the weapon stocks and checked a suitcase holding the items at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport.
The report added that he was subsequently convicted under a legal article covering weapons smuggling offenses.
Digital has reached out to the relevant party for comment on the case.
Russian state-run media outlets also allege that the U.S. national entered a partial guilty plea in the case.
The U.S. State Department advises against all travel to Russia “for any reason due to terrorism, unrest, wrongful detention and other risks.”
“The U.S. Embassy in Moscow has very limited capacity to provide support if a U.S. citizen is detained in the country. There is no assurance that the Russian government will allow U.S. Embassy staff consular access to U.S. nationals in custody,” the State Department stated. “U.S. citizens could end up serving their full prison term without being released early. The threat of wrongful detention for U.S. citizens stays elevated. Even if a case is ruled to be wrongful, there is no promise of a release.”
“Russian officials regularly interrogate and intimidate U.S. citizens without just cause. Russian security agencies have taken U.S. citizens into custody over fabricated charges,” it added. They have refused to give them fair treatment and handed down convictions without reliable evidence. Russian authorities have also launched dubious investigations into U.S. citizens over their religious practices.”