A court in the Angolan capital of Luanda in central Africa has jailed two Russian men on charges ranging from espionage to terrorism on Tuesday evening local time.
The BBC identified the two as political consultant Igor Ratchin and translator Lev Lakshtanov, who were jailed for 11 and 8 years respectively.
The two denied the charges and claimed they were merely seeking to establish a Russian cultural center.
Angola, a former Portuguese colony, gained independence in 1975. Its ruling party, the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), received military aid from the Soviet Union and direct military support from Cuba during the country’s civil war.
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