Romanian Accused of Spying for Russia Convicted of Treason
Alexandru Pişcan, pre-trial arrested in May, received a reduced sentence after pleading guilty during the trial. Alexandru Pişcan, accused by DIICOT of sending images of Romanian or NATO military targets to the Russian Embassy in Bucharest, was sentenced by the Bucharest Court of Appeal to five years and six months in prison for committing the crime of treason, in a continuous form.
The man was pre-arrested on May 23, the measure being subsequently extended several times.
DIICOT claims that, starting in 2022, Alexandru Pişcan proceeded to monitor Romanian or NATO military objectives located in the vicinity of Tulcea, collecting military information and taking photographs regarding military combat equipment and personnel movements in the border area with Ukraine, which he transmitted to diplomats at the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Bucharest.
According to the Criminal Code, the crime of treason is punishable by imprisonment from 10 to 20 years, but Alexandru Pişcan received a reduced sentence after pleading guilty during the trial.
A day after Pișcan’s arrest, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) announced that the Romanian authorities had decided to declare a diplomat of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Bucharest persona non grata on Romanian territory, for activities that contravene the provisions of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
“These elements were communicated to the Russian side today, May 24, 2024, during the convocation at the MAE headquarters, at the request of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Luminița Odobescu, of the chargé d’affaires a.i. of the Russian Federation in Bucharest,” the MAE stated.
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