INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
soldier serving a prison sentence in Russias Far East appeared on state tv Tuesday, saying he wished to be exchanged eventually in the
future.Gordon Black talked to state broadcaster Rossiya from jail, looking pale and wearing the exact same clothing he had on at the time of
his arrest previously this year
It was unclear whether he was speaking under duress.Of course, I want to go home but the choice depends on my government, Black stated in
remarks called into Russian
He added that U.S.diplomats did come and visit me in the prison however they did not say anything about my possible go back to my home
country.Black was reportedly serving in South Korea when he was detained in June
A judge in the Far East city of Vladivostok found him guilty ofthreatening to kill his Russian girlfriend, whom he was checking out after
meeting her online, and taking 10,000 rubles ($102) from her.Black told Russian television that he was in touch with U.S
diplomats over a review of my sentence however I think there isnt much chance of it.He said he did not strategy to request for a pardon from
Russian President Vladimir Putin, something that would typically be needed for a prisoner to be exchanged.Black was priced estimate
individually by RIA Novosti state news agency as stating that he wasnt included [in the August exchange], I believe because I was not in
In his interviews, Black said he was currently in a cell alone and was revealed checking out a copy of J.R.R
Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings.Other U.S
residents in Russian prison consist of Marc Fogel, an instructor at the Anglo-American School of Moscow, who was founded guilty of
large-scale drug smuggling and sentenced to 14 years in prison after reportedly trying to generate 17 grams of cannabis and cannabis oil
into the country.Ksenia Karelina, a dual U.S.-Russian person, was sentenced in August to 12 years in jail for treason after apparently
contributing a little over $50 to a pro-Ukraine charity.
