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Sergey SkripalEnglish and Russian intelligence officer
Date of Birth: 23.06.1951
Country:  Russia |
Content:
Sergei Skripal: Biography of a Former Spy
Sergei Skripal, an English and Russian intelligence officer, was born on June 23, 1951. He served in the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and retired in 1999 with the rank of colonel. After retirement, Skripal worked in the management of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia until 2003.
Arrest and Conviction
In December 2004, the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation uncovered Skripal's criminal activities, as he had been collaborating with British intelligence. A criminal case was initiated against him under Article 275 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which pertains to "High Treason." It was revealed that Skripal had been recruited by British intelligence during his military service and had continued to pass on classified information after his retirement in 1999. He obtained these secret materials through former colleagues and meetings with British intelligence representatives abroad. Skripal's actions significantly damaged the defense capabilities and security of the state.
Conviction and Pardon
During the investigation, Skripal fully confessed to the charges and provided truthful and detailed testimony about his criminal activities. This was taken into account by the court as a mitigating circumstance during the sentencing. On August 9, 2006, the Moscow District Military Court delivered a guilty verdict, stripping Skripal of all his ranks and sentencing him to 13 years in prison.
However, on July 9, 2010, it was announced that Russian President D.A. Medvedev had signed a decree granting a pardon to four Russian citizens, including Skripal, in response to their requests for clemency. According to a source in the presidential administration, the decision to grant the pardon took into consideration the fact that all the convicts had already served a severe punishment. At the time of the pardon, Skripal had been imprisoned for approximately 5 and a half years. The pardon was carried out as part of an operation to exchange four Russian citizens convicted of espionage for ten Russian special service agents detained in the United States in June 2010. It was reported that the list of Russian prisoners for exchange was proposed by the American authorities.
