An American citizen was arrested in Moscow on charges of “violence” against a law enforcement officer, the Russian Investigative Committee announced today, more than two weeks after the major exchange of prisoners between Moscow and Washington, France Press reported.
According to Russian investigators, who did not reveal the identity of the man, he was taken to a police station in the Russian capital for acts of “vandalism”. The crime was committed on August 12, according to the Interfax agency.
„The accused refused to provide documents proving his identity, after which he used violence against a law enforcement officer,” the Investigative Committee said in a statement published in "Telegram".
The American citizen "will be charged very soon", the message also says. According to Russian news agencies, he faces up to 5 years in prison.
The incident comes as Washington accuses Moscow of deliberately indicting American citizens in Russia to use them as bargaining chips for Russians detained in the West.
On August 1, the two warring powers carried out the largest prisoner swap since the Cold War, which saw the release of journalists and opposition figures held in Russia in exchange for spies serving sentences in the West.
Several more American citizens and citizens of other Western countries remain in Russian prisons on various charges, according to AFP.