A famous Russian scientist involved in the country’s hypersonic missile program has been charged with state treason, despite tight secrecy and worries about the defendant’s health.
Anatoly Maslov’s trial began in St Petersburg on Thursday, the first case against three hypersonic missile scientists who worked at an institute in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk and are now facing “very serious accusations,” according to the Kremlin.
According to the St Petersburg court, the “top secret” trial is restricted to the media and public. Maslov’s attorney could not be reached for comment on the start of the proceedings.
According to a source close to Maslov, 76, the missile scientist had two heart attacks and spent time in the hospital since his detention last June in Novosibirsk.
According to the source, doctors in the pre-trial detention center have denied Maslov access to all of the medication recommended by his regular physician, adding, “He’s holding on, but of course, his condition isn’t very good.” Reuters was unable to independently confirm the allegation of medication denial.
Maslov was a professor and researcher at the Khristianovich Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, one of Russia’s top scientific centres.
All three defendants are specialists in hypersonics – a field of key importance to the development of Russia’s next generation of missiles, capable of flying at 10 times the speed of sound.
Colleagues at the Khristianovic Institute issued an open letter on May 15 in support of the three jailed scientists that attested to their innocence and patriotism, noting that the accused had shunned the possibility of highly paid jobs overseas to dedicate themselves to “serving Russian science”.
“We know each of them as a patriot and a decent person who is not capable of doing what the investigating authorities suspect them of,” according to a translation of the letter.
“In this situation, we are not only afraid for the fate of our colleagues. We just do not understand how to continue to do our job,” the letter’s signatories added, pointing to their fear of also being accused of treason for simply doing their jobs as scientists.
“What we are rewarded for today and set as an example to others, tomorrow becomes the reason for criminal prosecution.”
Details of the accusations against the three are classified, but the news portal of the science city where they are based said Maslov was suspected of passing secrets to China.
The source said Maslov maintains his innocence and “does not consider himself a traitor. He believes that he always did everything correctly”.
Soon after his arrest, Maslov was sent to Lefortovo prison in Moscow, a former KGB interrogation site, before being transferred to St Petersburg to stand trial.
Russia’s parliament voted in April to increase the maximum penalty for treason to life imprisonment from 20 years.
