Famend Russian scientist Alexander Kuranov acquired a seven-year sentence in a high-security jail on Thursday for state treason, according to the Head of the United Press Service of the Courts of St. Petersburg.
Kuranov, who previously headed a state analysis institute in St. Petersburg overseeing the Ayaks hypersonic plane program, confronted arrest in 2021 on the age of 73. The fees in opposition to him alleged collaboration with and divulgence of scientific developments to overseas entities.
Following two closed-door trials because of the case’s labeled nature, St. Petersburg’s Metropolis Court docket discovered Kuranov responsible of state treason. Regardless of the potential 12-year penalty below Russian law, Kuranov was sentenced to seven years and fined 100,000 rubles ($1,000), with undisclosed mitigating circumstances.
This conviction displays a broader pattern of heightened treason convictions in Russia, notably since tensions have escalated between Russia and the West after the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The previous yr witnessed a surge in convictions for state treason, espionage and disclosure of state secrets and techniques, in response to data from the Russian Supreme Court docket.
Kuranov’s case highlights the Kremlin’s crackdown on people suspected of sharing delicate data with foreigners, criticized by many as indicative of state paranoia. Related incidents involving scientists, journalists and civilians have drawn scrutiny domestically and internationally. Regardless of this, President Vladimir Putin has persistently emphasized Russia’s hypersonic missile expertise prowess, an space the place Kuranov had important experience.
This newest conviction is the newest in a series of circumstances involving scientists charged with treason. Kuranov’s sentencing aligns with the broader pattern of authorized actions in opposition to people concerned in hypersonic analysis, reflecting the Kremlin’s strict strategy to safeguarding nationwide safety pursuits.
