Another Expert on Supersonic Missiles in Russia Convicted of 'Treason'

A court in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Tuesday, May 21, sentenced a physicist and expert in supersonic missiles named Anatoly Maslov to 14 years in prison on charges of 'treason.' According to Reuters, Maslov is one of several experts in the development of supersonic missiles in Russia who have been imprisoned in recent years under accusations of what is termed 'betrayal of the country.' The 77-year-old physicist appeared in a glass booth in court, where journalists were not allowed to attend the trial. He declared his innocence during the session and appealed the ruling. Anatoly Maslov is one of three senior researchers at the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics in Siberia, all of whom are supersonic experts and have been detained since 2022 on charges of 'treason.' Two other scientists, Alexander Shiplyuk and Valery Zugintsev, are awaiting trial. One of the lawyers from the 'First Department'—an association specializing in defending those accused of treason and espionage—stated that the charges against all the scientists involve 'disclosure of information while participating in an international conference or research, which is considered state secrets.' Yevgeny Smirnov said, 'The conviction against Maslov is a gross violation of the law. I am sure that Maslov is not guilty of the charges against him and is a victim of the policies of Russian officials.' Olga Dinze, Maslov's defense attorney, also told reporters that her client, who has serious heart problems, was shocked by the ruling but will 'respond firmly' and will appeal. She described her client as a humble person, stating that 'Maslov has dedicated his life to science in Russia and has rejected numerous invitations to leave the country and join a Western university.' Maslov's colleagues at the Siberian Institute published an open letter last year stating that Maslov, Shiplyuk, and Zugintsev are innocent, and the scientific papers published or presented by them at international conferences have been reviewed to ensure they do not contain classified information. In response, the Kremlin at that time stated that these individuals face 'very serious charges' and that their cases are under the jurisdiction of security services. Dinze, Maslov's lawyer, mentioned that her client was interrogated after the testimony of a defendant in another case against him in exchange for a shorter sentence of seven years. She was apparently referring to the imprisonment of Alexander Kuranov, another scientist in the same field who was convicted last month. According to Olga Dinze, the wave of arrests of prominent Russian professors by the country's security service is regrettable, especially when Vladimir Putin has been speaking about the need to invest in science. Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, has repeatedly claimed that his country is a leader in the field of supersonic missiles globally; he has acknowledged using these systems in the Ukraine war. Vladimir Putin signed a decree increasing the penalties for the charge of 'treason.' The upper house of the Russian parliament approved a 'treason' bill. Reuters reported that Russia accused three supersonic missile experts of delivering classified information to China.