Supreme Court of Russia leaves sentence passed on defector Oleg Kalugin unchanged

On Tuesday the Supreme Court of Russia left unchanged the sentence passed on former KGB General Oleg Kalugin, who defected to the USA. He was judged guilty of high treason by the Moscow City Court and sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment in absentia.

The case of the retired KGB general was examined by the Moscow City Court in absentia. Kalugin himself, who is currently residing in the United States, refused to appear in court.

It follows from the sentence of the Moscow City Court of June 25th that in the book "The First Chief Directorate" which he published together with an American journalist, Kalugin had disclosed top secret information on the organization and methods of work of the USSR's intelligence activity, specifically the use of cover offices in the Russian representations in the USA, as well as on the creation of Directorate "K" in the foreign intelligence service of the USSR and its aims. He also disclosed information on particularly valuable sources in Canada, Australia and the secret service of France.

The court stripped Kalugin of the title of major-general and all the state awards he received during his almost 40-year-long service in the KGB of the USSR. According to the sentence passed by the Moscow City Court, Kalugin is to serve the sentence in a tough regime prison camp.