Former US marine Trevor Reed jailed for nine years in Russia for assaulting two police officers
- Reed pleaded not guilty and his family has raised the alarm over what they say are irregularities in the proceedings
- The case has attracted attention due to the length of the sentence facing Reed and speculation he could become part of a prisoner swap
A Russian court on Thursday sentenced former US marine Trevor Reed to nine years in prison for assaulting two police officers while drunk last year.
Reed, a 29-year-old student and former marine from Texas, allegedly attacked police after attending a party in Moscow.
He appeared wearing a facemask in a cage for defendants in a courtroom in the Russian capital as the judge read out the guilty verdict, saying the police officers had suffered “mental and physical harm”.
Reed was handed nine years in a penal colony.
“This is completely a political case,” Reed told journalists after the verdict. “I will be asking my government for political support”.
The case has caught the attention of US diplomats in Russia and US ambassador John Sullivan said he was following proceedings along with the trials of other Americans detained in Russia.