A Russian citizen in Lebanon was sentenced to eight years in prison for spying for Israel by a military court, Ria Novosti reported. The man got Russian citizenship through marriage, but it’s unclear what nationality he holds. His wife, also accused of spying, was acquitted. The Russian embassy in Beirut helped prove her innocence. Russian diplomats were in touch with Hezbollah leadership and negotiated with the Lebanese Foreign Ministry for six months regarding the family’s detention. After the woman and child were detained, Russian diplomats provided food and basic necessities. The woman and her daughter returned to Russia last Saturday.
The man’s confession
According to Al-Akhbar, the man confessed to being recruited by Israeli intelligence and collecting data in Lebanon. He was provided with maps of Hezbollah’s facilities and asked to inspect and photograph them. He admitted to visiting Beirut’s Dahieh suburb more than once for his work with Israeli intelligence. Dahieh is where senior Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri was assassinated by an Israeli drone.
