US citizen sentenced to 13 years in Russian prison

Russian citizen Veronika Grabanchuk and US citizen Michael Travis Leake appeared at a court hearing in Moscow, Russia, on 18 July

US citizen Michael Travis Leake has been sentenced to 13 years in a Russian prison for "attempted drug smuggling", Moscow's court service said.

According to the prosecutor's office, Mr Leake, a former paratrooper and musician, tried to sell drugs he had obtained from an accomplice between January and June 2023.

It was not clear how Mr Leake, who is one of about a dozen Americans currently held in Russian detention, pleaded.

Washington has urged its citizens to leave Russia immediately, citing the threat of arrest amid the highest tensions between the two countries since the Cold War.

Mr Leake was accused of packaging the drugs for sale before giving them to another defendant in the case, a Russian woman named Veronika Grabanchuk.

Citing the investigation, Russian news agency Interfax reported that both Mr Leake and Ms Grabanchuk made four attempts to sell over 40g of mephedrone.

"In addition, Leake stored more than 1.6g of mephedrone and 0.54g of pills containing the narcotic drug MDMA at his apartment on Zaporozhskaya Street without the intention of selling them. The drugs were found and seized during operational activities," the report added.

In June, Russian state television broadcast footage from Mr Leake's trial that showed him locked in a metal cage.

In a separate video shared online, he said he "didn't know" why he was detained.

Appearing confused, he said he did not believe he had done what he was accused of, because he did not know what the charges were.

In Russia, only 0.25% of all cases referred to court in 2018 ended with not-guilty verdicts. By comparison, the rate from 2017 to 2018 in UK magistrates' courts was approximately 15%, rising to 20% at Crown Court level.

Mr Leake is at least the third American detained in Russia in recent years amid heightened tensions between Washington and Moscow.

A musician and music producer in his early 50's, Mr Leake was a member of Lovi Noch, meaning catch the night, an "American fronted rock band" based in Moscow. He is reported to have lived in Russia for many years.

US media outlet CNN reported that he appeared on the travel show Parts Unknown - hosted by the late chef Anthony Bourdain - for an episode in 2014 that was filmed in Moscow and St Petersburg.

Darya Tarasova, who produced the episode, told CNN that Mr Leake was a "showman" who was "very articulate" and who "loved Russia". He often worked with local rock bands, Ms Tarasova said.

Russian local media had earlier reported his arrest at his flat in Moscow.

US officials have previously accused Russia of deliberately targeting American citizens for arrest.

In March, Russian authorities arrested US journalist Evan Gershkovich, a correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, on espionage charges. He remains in pre-trial detention.

Mr Gershkovich's trial started in June and closing arguments are scheduled for Friday.

Late last year, American basketball player Brittney Griner, who was jailed in Russia on drugs charges, was released in a prisoner swap for the Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

US marine Paul Whelan is serving a 16-year prison sentence on "spying" charges - he was sentenced before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has weakened relations between US and Russia.