Moscow, Rabi'II 13, 1435, Feb 13, 2014, SPA -- The United States and European Union criticized Russia on Thursday for jailing environmental activist Yevgeny Vitishko, who had campaigned against the Sochi Olympics, dpa reported. "Troubled by the disproportionate sentence," Michael McFaul, the US ambassador to Russia, said on Twitter. "... Highlights concerns about rule of law and freedom of expression." Vitishko is to serve three years in a prison colony for defacing and partly destroying a metal fence, after a court in the Krasnodar region - where Sochi is located - Wednesday rejected his appeal and upheld his December sentence. Vitishko is a member of Environmental Watch of the North Caucasus, a regional pressure group that has campaigned for years against environmental damage caused by construction for the Games, which run through February 23. His supporters called the case politically charged and said it aimed to silence critics of the Games. -- SPA 20:46 LOCAL TIME 17:46 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/1198383