A US citizen, identified as Joseph Tater, has been sentenced to 15 days in a Russian prison on charges of 'petty hooliganism' for attacking a police officer, according to Moscow court officials. The Meshchansky Court of Moscow handed down the administrative penalty following Tater's disorderly conduct at a hotel in Moscow, where he behaved aggressively, swore, and hit a female police officer during his investigation in detention.
Tater is also facing a criminal case for the use of violence against a government official, which could lead to imprisonment for up to five years, as reported by Russian state media TASS. The US State Department and the US Embassy in Moscow have been contacted for comment on the situation.
Authorities are aware of the arrest of another American citizen in Russia and are working to gather more information and ascertain the consular situation. Several American citizens are currently serving sentences in Russia for drug or theft convictions, including Marc Fogel, who was sentenced to 14 years at a hard labor camp for illegal possession of cannabis in 2021.
In a separate incident, Russian-US dual national Ksenia Karelina pleaded guilty to treason charges in a Russian court after being arrested for donating $51.80 to a charity providing humanitarian aid to those affected by the war in Ukraine. Karelina, 33, was detained in Yekaterinburg in February while visiting her grandparents.
The recent prisoner exchange between Russia and the West did not include Fogel, highlighting the complex legal situations faced by American citizens in Russia. The cases of Tater, Fogel, and Karelina underscore the importance of understanding and abiding by local laws and regulations while traveling or residing in foreign countries.
