Russia’s Supreme Court on Monday upheld a 12-year jail sentence for an ex-serviceman for selling classified topographic maps to the Pentagon.
A Moscow city court established in May that Vladimir Lazar, a former colonel with the Topographic Service of Russia’s General Staff of the Armed Forces, had transferred 7,500 classified maps to Alexander Lesment, with whom he had been a fellow student, and who had allegedly collaborated with U.S. intelligence since 1994.
Lazar was found guilty of high treason and divulging state secrets. He was also stripped of his military rank.
Lazar admitted he had handed over the maps, but said he had not considered that to be a crime.
