MOSCOW. Nov 11 (Interfax-AVN) - The Moscow district military court convicted Colonel Alexander Sypachyov on charges of espionage on Monday.
The court agreed with the public prosecutor's arguments and pronounced Sypachyov guilty, the press service at the Main Military Prosecutor's Office told Interfax.
Sypachyov will spend eight years in a maximum security penitentiary. The court also stripped him of the military rank of colonel, the press service said.
The criminal proceedings against the officer were instituted based on article 275 of the Russian Criminal Code (espionage).
Sypachyov is a Russian professional intelligence agent. He was accused of high treason in the form of espionage, including the divulgence of state secrets to representatives of the CIA.
The Federal Security Service arrested Sypachyov in April 2002. He was detained while transferring secret materials to a representative of a foreign intelligence service.
Main Military Prosecutor Alexander Savenkov represented the Public Prosecutor at the trial. The court hearings were held behind closed doors at the Lefortovo detention center, where the convict is currently being held.