Moscow’s city court convicted and sentenced prominent Russian physicist Alexander Shiplyuk to 15 years in prison on Tuesday on charges of “state treason,” following a closed-door trial.
The 57-year-old scientist who worked on military programs had been accused of sharing classified information during a scientific conference in China in 2017, according to the independent Russian news outlet Novaya Gazeta. Shiplyuk denied the charges, claiming that the information he presented was already publicly available.
In recent years, at least three scientists from the Khristianovich Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics in Novosibirsk, including Shiplyuk, have been arrested on suspicion of treason. The institute is known for its research on hypersonic missiles.
In Russia, cases of treason are typically tried behind closed doors, as they involve information deemed classified by the authorities. Those found guilty of treason can face up to 20 years in prison.
Despite efforts to defend the scientists at Khristianovich, one of Shiplyuk’s colleagues, 78-year-old Anatoly Maslov, was also found guilty of treason and sentenced to 14 years in prison.
The long sentences given to these scientists may result in them spending the rest of their lives behind bars. In some cases, scientists have died in pre-trial detention. In October 2022, 81-year-old Russian scientist Valery Mitko, who was under house arrest on high treason charges, died after suffering multiple heart attacks.
Last year, Dmitry Kolker, 54, director of the Laboratory of Quantum Optics at Novosibirsk State University, died of stage 4 cancer while under investigation for espionage charges. He passed away in a hospital while undergoing treatment.
The recent rise in treason cases in Russia is believed to be linked to increasing tensions stemming from the war in Ukraine. Many of these cases involve accusations of aiding Ukraine or fighting against Russian interests.