Moscow’s judicial system has recently handed down a three-year prison sentence to a Dutch citizen, Harry Johannes van Wurden, after he was convicted of assaulting a police officer.
The incident occurred in October in central Moscow, where van Wurden reportedly became involved in a confrontation with the officer over a damaged road sign. Initial reports, including one from Russian news agency RIA Novosti, indicate that the disagreement escalated, leading him to punch the officer in the face.

The Khamovnichesky District Court found van Wurden guilty of employing violence against a governmental representative, a crime that could have resulted in a five-year prison term.
This case is part of a troubling trend in Russia, where numerous foreign nationals, particularly from the United States and Western Europe, have faced incarceration in noteworthy legal cases over the past years.

Some experts suggest that the Kremlin may be utilizing these detained foreigners as leverage in geopolitical negotiations, particularly amid ongoing tensions linked to Russia’s military actions in Ukraine.
Among those previously detained are several Americans, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, Michigan security executive Paul Whelan, and Alsu Kurmasheva, a journalist with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

These individuals, who were part of a significant prisoner swap in August 2024—the largest since the Cold War—have consistently denied the allegations leveled against them, with charges ranging from espionage to disseminating false information regarding Russia’s military activities.