A Russian court has sentenced U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Gordon Black, 34, to three years and nine months in a penal colony for theft and making death threats against his girlfriend. The incident took place in May in Vladivostok, where Black allegedly assaulted his girlfriend and stole 10,000 rubles ($113) from her.
This case stands out as domestic violence prosecutions are rare in Russia, particularly since the country partially decriminalized such offenses in 2017. The decision has faced widespread criticism from Western human rights advocates, who argue that it promotes a permissive attitude toward gender violence.Black’s mother, Melody Jones, revealed that her son had been in a relationship with his girlfriend, whom he met in South Korea, for about a year and a half. She expressed concerns about her son’s girlfriend, which were exacerbated when Black decided to visit her in Russia before returning home.The U.S. Army confirmed the detention, with spokesperson Cynthia Smith acknowledging the charges of “criminal misconduct” and confirming that the soldier’s family had been notified. The U.S. Embassy in Russia has yet to comment on the situation.This incident marks the latest in a series of detentions of U.S. citizens in Russia, reflecting the strained relations between Moscow and Washington. Last year, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was arrested on espionage charges, which both the Journal and the U.S. government have strongly denied.In a related note, a recent study by Russian Field, a domestic pollster, highlighted that one-fifth of respondents, mostly women aged 18-29, reported experiencing domestic violence. This underscores the ongoing issues of gender violence within the country.
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