Former nuclear energy minister Yevgeny Adamov was earlier found guilty of embezzlement, money laundering and tax fraud in connection with nine million dollars of funding from the United States to improve Russia's nuclear security.

He was sentenced on February 20 to five years and five months in prison.

On Thursday, the Moscow court changed that sentence, putting him instead on conditional release for three years, Interfax and RIA Novosti news agencies reported, citing official court documents.

Adamov was arrested in Switzerland in 2005 on a US request. But he was extradited to Russia instead of the United States amid fears in Moscow that he could reveal secrets about Russia's nuclear industry.

Adamov was Russia's nuclear energy minister between 1998 and 2001.

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