Russian Court Sentences American Citizen to Over 12 Years for Drug Trafficking

A court in Russia on Thursday, July 5, sentenced Robert Romanov Woodland, an American citizen, to 12 and a half years in prison in a drug trafficking case. Woodland was found guilty of 'attempting to sell drugs' and was sentenced by the judge to imprisonment in a high-security prison. Stanislav Kshvitsky, the lawyer for this American citizen, told Reuters that Woodland, who was arrested in Russia earlier this year, has 'partially' confessed to his guilt. The Moscow prosecutor's office stated that Woodland, as part of a large gang, transported about 50 grams of 'mephedrone' (a type of amphetamine) from a location near Moscow to an apartment in the city to sell it in smaller packages. According to the prosecution, he was arrested while storing the mephedrone. The 32-year-old man is among a long list of American citizens who have been detained in Russia following the deterioration of relations between Washington and Moscow. Washington has repeatedly warned its citizens about the risks of illegal detentions and harassment by Russian security services, urging them to leave the country. Robert Romanov Woodland, known as 'Rob,' was adopted by American parents from Russia in 1993. He holds both Russian and American passports and stated that he returned to Russia to meet his biological mother. A Facebook account named Robert Woodland indicates that he lived outside Moscow and was teaching English. Ivan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal journalist, Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine, Alsou Kormashova, editor of Radio Free Europe 'Radio Liberty,' Gordon Black, a U.S. Army sergeant, and Robert Gilman, a former U.S. Marine, are among the American citizens who have been detained in Russia in recent months on various charges.