MOSCOW, Russia — Robert Shonov, a former United States consulate employee, has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison after being convicted of secret collaboration with a foreign state. The Russian court handed down the sentence on May 19, 2023, in the Primorsky District Court in Vladivostok, Russia.
Shonov, who worked at the now-closed US consulate in Vladivostok, was accused by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) of gathering sensitive information related to Russia’s war in Ukraine. The FSB alleged that Shonov had shared insights with US embassy staff in Moscow about the impact of conscription on Russia’s political climate, particularly in light of the upcoming 2024 presidential election.
The court also imposed a fine of 1 million roubles ($10,200) on Shonov, along with an additional 16 months of restrictions after his prison term. Shonov was arrested in May 2023 and charged under Russia’s controversial law criminalizing “cooperation on a confidential basis with a foreign state or international organization.”
The US Department of State strongly condemned Shonov’s arrest, stating that the charges against him were without merit. Human rights organizations have criticized the law for being vague, arguing it could be used to target any Russian citizen with foreign connections. The law carries a maximum prison sentence of eight years.
Shonov had worked for over 25 years at the US consulate in Vladivostok before its closure in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He continued to work under a US contractor, compiling media summaries for the embassy after all local employees were dismissed in 2021 by Russian authorities.
The State Department called Shonov’s prosecution a blatant attempt by Russia to intimidate US employees and suppress dissent.