Italy Sentences Navy Officer Spying For Russia To 30 Years In Jail

He transferred secret information and documents to a Russian embassy official in Italy.

A military tribunal in Rome has sentenced Italian naval officer Walter Biot, accused of espionage for passing secret information and documents to a Russian embassy official in Italy in exchange for money, to 30 years in prison.

This was reported by Ansa.

The judges recognised the general mitigating circumstances.

During his statement, defence lawyer Roberto De Vita said that "Biot did not have a single chance to defend himself".

The military prosecutor's office in Rome had asked for life imprisonment.

The prosecutor reconstructed the story during his arraignment, also showing photographs of Biot taking pictures of the screen of an office computer and a number of documents with his mobile phone.

The 19 documents he photographed included classified NATO documents, "very confidential and one top secret".

According to the prosecution spokesman, "Biot traded in classified documents" and demonstrated "a high degree of infidelity and criminal ability, as well as unfortunate self-interest".