The Moscow City Court on October 29 sentenced Tajikistan-born IT specialist Firuz Dadoboev to 13 1/2 years in prison on a high treason charge. Russian state news agencies quoted the Federal Security Service (FSB) as saying that Dadoboev, who was born in 1977 and holds dual citizenship, was arrested in the Russian capital in October 2022 while attempting to pass classified information to a CIA representative. According to the FSB, Dadoboev pleaded guilty. The court also ordered him to pay a 300,000 ruble ($3,080) fine. The number of treason cases has been on rise in Russia since Moscow launched its ongoing invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law a bill stiffening the penalty for treason to life in prison.
