Russia has sentenced a US citizen to six years in prison for attempting to take his son, a Russian citizen, out of the country without the mother’s consent, authorities said. The case, which took place in the Kaliningrad region, adds to a list of Americans jailed in Russia in recent years, ranging from espionage charges to family disputes.
According to a court in Kaliningrad, the man, whose name has not been released, was found guilty of kidnapping after attempting to cross into Poland with his four-year-old son in July 2023. The court reported that the suspect had been driving toward the Polish border but abandoned the vehicle, opting to cross the forest and swamp on foot before being detained by Russian border guards.
The court stated that the man did not have permission from the boy’s mother to take him out of Russia, leading to the kidnapping charge.