Russian couple in Slovenia is sentenced to 19 months in prison for spying, released on time served

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) — A Russian couple has been sentenced in the Slovenian capital to 19 months in prison each, after pleading guilty to spying charges. The husband and wife were released on time served and were ordered to leave the country. The Ljubljana court on Wednesday sentenced them for espionage and using fake documents to register their firms. The couple was also banned from returning to Slovenia for five years. The two — who posed as Argentine citizens — settled in Slovenia in 2017.  Local media reports said they were operatives of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) which recruits spies, who pose as ordinary citizens in Western countries.