MOSCOW/SOCHI. April 2 (Interfax) - A third appeal court of general jurisdiction has upheld the ten-year prison sentence of Ukrainian citizen Oleksandr Marchenko, who was found guilty of espionage, the human rights group Team 29, whose lawyers represented Marchenko, told Interfax on Thursday.
"Today the court considered the appeal against the sentence of our client. The punishment - ten years of imprisonment - has remained in force," Team 29 said.
The defense team maintains that Marchenko's guilt of espionage was not proved in the court and that the rulings in his case will be appealed via cassation procedure, lawyer Yevgeny Smirnov said.
On November 26, 2020 a court in Krasnodar sentenced Marchenko to ten years' imprisonment at a high-security facility for espionage.
The Ukrainian had been charged with intent to acquire spare parts for S-300 air defense missile systems.
Marchenko pleaded not guilty.