On Tuesday, May 21st, Russian physicist Anatoly Maslov was convicted of “treason” and sentenced to 14 years of exile imprisonment. Maslov, aged 77, with white hair, stood in a glass box in the St. Petersburg court, attentively listening to the judge announcing the verdict, showing no expression on his face. Prior to this, he went through a closed trial, steadfastly maintaining his innocence.
According to the St. Petersburg City Court, Maslov was found guilty of treason and sentenced to 14 years in a high-security prison. The prosecutor had requested a 17-year sentence for the scientist, while the defense lawyer argued that given Maslov’s age and health issues, such a long sentence was akin to life imprisonment. Maslov suffered a heart attack during pre-trial detention in February.
Maslov’s lawyer, Olga Dinze, stated that the defense plans to appeal Tuesday’s ruling. She mentioned that Maslov led a simple life, dedicating himself to the Russian scientific community, having declined numerous invitations to visit Western universities.
Maslov is the Chief Researcher at the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, specializing in hypersonic technology, a theoretical field crucial for Russia’s advanced missile programs. He was arrested in June 2022.
Alongside Maslov, since 2022, two other hypersonic experts from his research institute have been arrested on charges of “treason.” Two more individuals – Alexander Shiplyuk and Valery Zvegintsev – are awaiting trial.
These individuals, along with other scientists facing similar accusations in related cases, conducted theoretical research in fields associated with hypersonic missile development. Hypersonic missiles are cutting-edge weapons capable of carrying payload at speeds up to 10 times the speed of sound, penetrating anti-aircraft systems.
Russian President Putin has repeatedly asserted Russia’s global leadership in these weapons and acknowledged their use in the Ukraine conflict.
Pervy Otdel (First Division) is an association specialized in defending individuals in treason and espionage cases. Yevgeny Smirnov, a lawyer from the association, stated that all accused scientists share similar charges, accused of leaking state secrets while participating in international conferences or research.
“Any conviction of Maslov would be a severe miscarriage of justice,” Smirnov remarked. “I am confident Maslov did not commit the alleged acts; he is a victim of Russian authorities’ policies.”
Last year, colleagues of the three scientists at the Siberian research institute published a rare open letter asserting the innocence of Maslov, Shiplyuk, and Zvegintsev, claiming that their scientific papers presented at international conferences were reviewed to ensure they did not contain restricted information.
They highlighted that these cases have created a chilling effect in the Russian academic community, hindering scientists from pursuing their work.
In response, the Kremlin mentioned these individuals face “very serious charges” addressed by security agencies. Smirnov from Pervy Otdel told Reuters that persecuting scientists is a political move by Russian authorities, attempting to showcase that intelligence agencies worldwide are trying to steal Russian weapons’ secrets.
Smirnov emphasized that the detained scientists were not directly involved in weapon research but in studying physics processes related to high speeds. He stated that the so-called secrets they shared were “publicly available, accessible to anyone.”