Russian Court Frees U.S. Pastor
The Associated Press
June 23, 2008
A Russian court on Monday cut the three-year prison sentence of a U.S. pastor jailed for smuggling hunting ammunition into the country.
Click on the player above to see Pastor Philip Miles's reaction as the judge reads the order announcing the reduction of his sentence.
Phillip Miles could now be freed as early as Tuesday.
The Moscow City Court reduced Phillip Miles sentence to 10 months and suspended the remaining six months. Miles, who has been in prison since February 3, will be allowed to leave Russia once he walks out of jail.
Miles, who listened to the decision from jail via videolink, spread his arms wide and said "Hallelujah!" as the translator explained the ruling.
Vladimir Ryakhovsky, Miles' lawyer, said they were satisfied with the decision: "The only question is - why couldn't the court of primary jurisdiction do that? Why did we have to wait for the today's session of the Moscow City Court?"
Miles, a pastor at the Christ Community Church in Conway, South Carolina, was convicted in April after security officers at a Moscow airport found a box of.300-calibre cartridges in his luggage.
He repeatedly apologised, saying that the ammunition was for a Russian friend who had recently bought a Winchester rifle and that he did not know bringing the ammunition into the country was illegal.
The lower court rebuffed his apologies, saying it could not condone ignorance of Russian customs regulations and noted Miles had visited the country more than 10 times.
The case had drawn the attention of dozens of U.S. lawmakers, who complained that the sentence was too harsh.
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