From AP:  A Dutch court has sentenced a diplomat to 12 years in prison for delivering confidential Nato and European Union documents to Russian agents. . . .

A three-judge panel at The Hague district court on Tuesday said Raymond Poeteray had damaged the interests of the Dutch state and its allies by passing on sensitive military and political documents.

"The court considers it proven that he passed on confidential documents to the Russian Federation for years and on assignment from the Russian foreign intelligence service," the presiding judge AJ Milius said, reading a written summary of the panel’s ruling.

He said Poeteray gave the Russians information about the civil war in Libya, EU fact-finding missions in Georgia, and Dutch peacekeeping missions in Kosovo and Afghanistan, causing substantial damage. . . .

Poeteray, 61, was working at the Netherlands’ foreign affairs ministry after serving in the Dutch embassies in Hong Kong and Indonesia earlier in his diplomatic career, which began in 1978. He was arrested in March 2012 in connection with a German investigation. . . .

The Hague court found Poeteray "acted purely in pursuit of profit, to pay off his debts and to be able to allow himself a certain lifestyle".

He was paid at least €72,000 (£61,000) in cash alone between January 2009 and August 2011, the ruling said.  (photo: De Telegraaf)

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