An Italian navy officer got 30 years
in jail on Thursday night for spying for Russia.
Frigate captain Walter Biot, 58, a father of four from Pomezia
outside Rome, was found guilty by a military court of selling
secret documents to a functionary of the Russian embassy in
Rome.
The judges recognised general extenuating circumstances in the
case.
Military prosecutors in Rome on Thursday requested that Biot,
accused of selling classified documents to the Russian embassy
official in March 2021 in exchange for money, be handed a life
term in jail.
The prosecutors presented images allegedly showing Biot using
his cell phone to take photos of a series of documents and a
computer screen.
"Some of the 19 documents photographed by Biot were highly
reserved NATO secret ones and one was top secret," a prosecutor
said.
"Biot traded secret documents and showed a high degree of
infidelity and capacity for crime".
The prosecutor alleged that Biot may have sold classified
documents on other occasions too.
Italy expelled two Russian embassy officials in 2021 in relation
to the case.
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