Convicted Russian scientists faced a 15-year sentence for allegations of "betrayal".
Following allegations of "traitorous actions," a prominent scientist in Russia, Alexander Schipljuk, was given a 15-year prison sentence in a labor camp. A Russian court, as reported by news agency TASS, found Schipljuk guilty of disclosing state secrets.
The head of the Christianovich Institute for Theoretical and Applied Mechanics in Novosibirk, Siberia, was apprehended during the summer of 2022 and has been detained in Moscow ever since. As per Russian media outlets, Schipljuk is being charged with sharing classified details about Russia's hypersonic weaponry with foreign representatives. The trial was conducted in secrecy. According to TASS, the 57-year-old did not admit to the charges.
In May, another colleague, who was arrested around the same time as Schipljuk, was also given a 14-year sentence for treason. Russian news sources state that he was accused of leaking classified data regarding Russia's hypersonic missile program to the German intelligence agency.
Since the initiation of Russia's military operations in Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow has strengthened its suppression on scientists. At least three other scientists from Novosibirsk, a significant Russian research center, have been arrested since then.
The charges against Schipljuk also include the disclosure of other sensitive information, such as parts of machinery used in Russia's military technology.The investigation uncovered evidence of Schipljuk and his colleague sharing classified details, including parts of machinery, with foreign entities.
