‘Treasonous’ Russian diplomat jailed for 12 years after selling secrets to US | World | News
A former Russian diplomat was sentenced to 12 years in a maximum security penal colony after being found guilty of treason for passing state secrets to the United States, the Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on Friday.
Arseniy Konovalov, 38, was found guilty by a Russian court and ordered to pay a fine of 100,000 rubles (£938) in addition to his prison sentence. According to the FSB, Konovalov deliberately shared classified information with American intelligence services in exchange for money while serving abroad.
Konovalov was arrested in March 2024, but Russian authorities did not publicly disclose his detention or charges at the time.
Investigators said the alleged spying occurred during her tenure at the Russian Consulate General in Houston, where she worked as a second secretary from 2014 to 2017.
In its statement, the FSB said that it was determined that Konovalov, an employee of the Russian foreign ministry, transferred classified information to US intelligence during a “long-term foreign mission”.
The agency did not disclose what information was allegedly shared or which American intelligence service received this information.
Unconfirmed reports circulating on Russian social media platforms suggested that Konovalov was recruited by the CIA while he was in the United States. US intelligence agencies did not comment on the incident.
Russian state media published video footage released by the FSB showing Konovalov’s arrest and subsequent court proceedings.
The footage shows officers detaining him, confiscating his phone and escorting him in handcuffs before appearing at Moscow’s Lefortovo District Court, which is frequently used for high-profile security cases.
Konovalov’s conviction came at a time when cases of treason and espionage in Russia were rising sharply.
According to rights group Pervy Otdel, more than 470 people were found guilty of treason, espionage or collusion with foreign organizations in 2025 alone; Hundreds of others are currently under investigation.
Human rights organizations say such accusations are increasingly being used to stifle dissent and intimidate Kremlin critics.
Courts in Russia rarely acquit defendants in national security cases, which are often conducted behind closed doors. Sentences have also become longer, and the average prison sentence for treason increased significantly last year.
