Russian oil expert jailed in Turkmenistan - report

Vladimir Sibirev, the 53-year-old leading expert on hydrocarbon deposits in the oil-rich state, was sentenced to eight years in prison, Ekho Moskvy radio said, citing a Russian Community of Turkmenistan press release. According to the release, Sibirev has Russian citizenship.

Sibirev was arrested after he faxed a fresh drilling report to an unnamed recipient. The report contained only open information, and the prosecution failed to prove that Sibirev had been spying on the national oil industry.

However, the Supreme Court of Turkmenistan sentenced him for abuse of power.

The news came as Turkmenistan pledged to ship an unspecified amount of natural gas via the long-planned Nabucco pipeline, which is expected to end Russia's monopoly in gas deliveries to Europe.