Russian Court Jails US Navy Vet for 5 Years ‘This is an obvious set-up to get another American they can trade,’ his sister says
A Russian Federal Bailiffs Service employee patrols around a court building in Russia. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)
A Russian court has convicted and sentenced an American citizen to five years in prison on weapons-related charges, court officials announced Monday.
The man, identified as 58-year-old Chuck Zimmerman, was sentenced by a court in the Black Sea city of Sochi after authorities discovered a firearm on his yacht in June, according to a statement from the Krasnodar regional courts’ press service. Russian officials said the weapon was found during an inspection when the vessel arrived in Sochi.
Zimmerman was convicted in October, and the verdict was upheld two months later by a regional court, court records reviewed by the Associated Press show. The press service said Zimmerman told the court he had traveled to Russia to meet a woman he had previously contacted online and that he carried the gun for personal protection, claiming he was unaware that it was illegal under Russian law. Officials said he admitted guilt.
A website created in support of Zimmerman describes him as a U.S. Navy veteran, an electrician, and a father of two. His family has strongly disputed the charges, calling the case a setup intended to secure another American for a future prisoner exchange.
Zimmerman’s sister, Robin Stultz, said her brother was intercepted while sailing in international waters and had no intention of entering Russia. She said he was traveling by sea from the United States to New Zealand and carried a firearm for safety while at sea.
“You can’t just call 911 if something goes wrong out on the ocean,” Stultz said in a statement to the AP. “He voluntarily disclosed the firearm, and they charged him with arms smuggling. This is an obvious attempt to detain another American for a trade.”
Stultz also questioned the credibility of any confession Russian authorities claim Zimmerman made, saying he has not been allowed to meet with representatives from the U.S. Embassy since his arrest. She called for him to be designated as wrongfully detained.
U.S. officials have not publicly commented on the case. Zimmerman is among a small number of Americans still held in Russian custody following several high-profile prisoner exchanges between Moscow and Washington in recent years. Arrests of U.S. citizens in Russia, followed by prisoner swaps, have become more frequent as relations between the two countries have deteriorated to their lowest point since the Cold War.
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