About 25 thousand foreigners are being held in prison in Russia
Currently, 16 US citizens are serving sentences in correctional colonies in Russia. Most of them have been convicted of drug-related crimes, smuggling, illegal crossing of the state border, and violent crimes.
Nearly 25 thousand foreign citizens are being held in prison in Russia
Arkady Gostev, Director of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia (FSIN), announced this on September 11 at the XI meeting of the Council of Heads of Penitentiary Services of the CIS countries.
Answering a question from the "Interfax" agency, he said that 16 US citizens are currently serving sentences in Russian correctional colonies.
According to Gostev, most of the Americans were convicted of illicit drug trafficking, smuggling, illegal crossing of the state border, violent crimes, as well as crimes against sexual integrity.
The head of the FSIN also provided information on the total number of foreigners held in institutions of the Russian penal system. He said that currently, nearly 25 thousand foreign citizens are being held in relevant institutions in Russia.
The majority of them are citizens of CIS countries. Approximately 4.5 thousand foreigners are being held in pre-trial detention centers, and another 14.1 thousand are in correctional colonies.
According to FSIN data, the number of foreigners held in correctional facilities in Russia has decreased since 2024.
Arkady Gostev explained this trend primarily by the general decline in the crime rate in the country.
The issue of US citizens held in Russian prisons and colonies remains one of the important topics in relations between Moscow and Washington. In recent years, the two countries have repeatedly carried out prisoner exchanges.
Additionally, issues related to the fate of citizens of both countries convicted in Russia and the US are regularly raised in diplomatic dialogues.