U.S. Calls on Russia to Release Jailed Estonian Officer

The United States on Wednesday called on Russia to release an Estonian intelligence officer who was sentenced to 15 years in prison for spying and weapons possession, calling the charges "baseless."

The sentencing of Eston Kohver, an officer for Estonia's KAPO internal security service, came in a court in Russia's western Pskov region, which borders Estonia.

Russia says Kohver was detained last September on Russian soil, but Tallinn accuses Moscow's FSB security service of kidnapping him from Estonian territory.

Kohver's "abduction, detention, and now conviction on baseless charges demonstrate a flagrant disregard by Russian authorities for the rule of law," State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement.

"We call once again on the Russian Federation to act in accordance with its international obligations and immediately return Mr Kohver to Estonia."