Treason trial set for Russian hypersonic missile scientist

Anatoly Maslov, 76, and two colleagues from the Khristianovich Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (ITAM) are accused of treason.

The first of 3 Russian hypersonic missile scientists to be arrested on suspicion of treason will cross on trial subsequent week in a case which resources say comes to accusations of betraying secrets and techniques to China.

The legal case in opposition to Anatoly Maslov, 76, will open in Saint Petersburg’s town courtroom on June 1, the courtroom stated on its website online on Wednesday.

Maslov and two colleagues on the Khristianovich Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (ITAM) in Siberia have been all arrested on suspicion of treason during the last yr.

The 3 are experts in hypersonics – a box of key significance to the advance of Russia’s subsequent era of missiles, which can be in a position to flying at 10 instances the velocity of sound.

The case, which is marked as “top secret”, might be closed to the media and public, the courtroom stated. The Kremlin in the past stated the suspects face “very serious allegations” even though main points in their alleged crimes are categorized.

The information portal of the science town in Siberia the place they have been based totally stated Maslov used to be suspected of handing secrets and techniques to China.

Two resources informed the Reuters information company that fellow suspect Alexander Shiplyuk, the director of ITAM, is suspected of passing secrets and techniques to China at a convention there in 2017. They stated he denies the price, pronouncing the guidelines in query used to be publicly to be had on-line.

ITAM has intensive global hyperlinks and says on its website online that it’s registered as a part of Russia’s military-industrial advanced.

Maslov – whose custody used to be prolonged till November 10 in a closed listening to on Wednesday – used to be arrested closing June in Novosibirsk, the biggest town in Siberia. Soon afterwards he used to be despatched to Lefortovo jail in Moscow, a former KGB interrogation web page.

In St Petersburg, he has been positioned within the FSB safety carrier prison on Shalernaya Street the place many Soviet dissidents have been as soon as held via the KGB, Maslov’s attorney Olga Dinze informed Reuters.

She declined to remark additional at the case, pronouncing that “the situation is extremely difficult”.

Colleagues of Maslov and fellow suspects Shiplyuk and the 3rd arrested guy, Valery Zvegintsev, closing week revealed an open letter of their protection, caution that the prosecutions threatened to wreck Russian science.

Last month the Russian parliament voted to extend the utmost penalty for treason to existence imprisonment, up from twenty years.

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