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Russian cybersecurity chief jailed for 14 years

July 26, 2023

Ilya Sachkov, who helped found one of Russia's top cybersecurity firms, was suspected of passing on state secrets to foreign spies. He is the latest in a long line of people to face treason charges in Russia.

https://p.dw.com/p/4UQBM
Ilya Sachkov stands in a glass cage behind his lawyers in a court room of the Moscow City Court
Ilya Sachkov, wearing black, listened to the verdict in a glass courtroom cageImage: Moscow City Court Press/AP/picture alliance

A Russian court on Wednesday sentenced a top cybersecurity executive to 14 years in prison on  charges of high treason.

Ilya Sachkov, co-founder of the Group-IB cybersecurity firm, was arrested in September 2021 by Russia's Federal Security Service. 

He was accused of passing on highly classified state secrets to foreign intelligence.

"The court found Sachkov guilty under Article 275 of Russia's Criminal Code and sentenced him to 14 years in prison with the sentence to be served in a strict regime penal colony," Judge Alexander Rybak said, according to the AFP news agency.

Sachkov to 'appeal further'

Sachkov's lawyer told reporters that he hoped his client would be acquitted, as he thought he presented sufficient evidence to prove his innocence. 

"We are not giving up. We believe... in Ilya's innocence, and we'll appeal further and work further," his lawyer, Sergei Afanasiev, said. 

Few details have been made public from the trial, as treason cases are typically classified in Russia. 

Sachkov is no longer associated with the cybersecurity firm. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. 

The trial of Ilya Sachkov was held behind closed doors
Group-IB this year finalised its exit from the Russian marketImage: Moscow City Court Press/AP/picture alliance

Group IB, now headquartered in Singapore, said in a statement that it had "full confidence in Ilya's innocence."

"While he remains wrongfully imprisoned, we will continue to stand up against injustice and operate our business with the same mission in mind — to fight against cybercrime," the company said in a statement.

Putin awarded Sachkov for his innovations

The 37-year-old co-founded Group-IB in 2003, when he was just 17. The firm focused on probing high-tech crimes and online fraud. Apart from Russia, they also had a global client base that included banks, energy companies, telecom firms, and Interpol. 

Three years after founding the company, Sachkov received an "innovative breakthrough" award from President Vladimir Putin. 

According to media reports, he had ruffled official feathers with a speech he gave at an event a year before his arrest. 

Sachkov is the latest in a long line of people, including scientists, soldiers, officials, and a former journalist, to face treason charges in Russia in recent years. 

ara/nm (Reuters, AP, AFP)