Russia arrests director of cybersecurity firm for “high treason”

Published on : 09/29/2021 – 12:19

A new name on the list of suspected “high treason” in Russia. The director of Groupe-IB, a cybersecurity company, was arrested and placed in pre-trial detention for two months, the body responsible for such prosecutions said on Wednesday (September 29th). Trials for “espionage” or “high treason” have increased in Russia in recent years.

Founded eighteen years ago, this company specializing in the detection and prevention of cyberattacks is an “official partner of Interpol and Europol”, according to its site. She is a leader in the Russian market and works in many foreign countries.

The Lefortovski court in Moscow on Tuesday ordered, according to a statement, to detain Ilia Satchkov, founder and head of Group-IB, until November 27. Searches targeted the company’s Moscow offices on Tuesday.

The court does not give any details of what is alleged against the entrepreneur, as is usually the case in cases of high treason.

“The administration and legal services of the group are seeking to clarify this situation,” said Group-IB on Wednesday in a statement, arguing that the company continued to ensure “the security of its customers’ data and the operation of all its services “.

Trials for “espionage” or “high treason”, still held behind closed doors and the details of which are secret, have multiplied in recent years in Russia, the authorities regularly claiming to thwart Western plots or operations.

In August, a scientist at the head of a research institute specializing in hypersonic technologies was arrested, accused of having transmitted to a “foreign citizen” “secret information” relating to his research.

Another controversial spy case involves ex-journalist Ivan Safronov, who specializes in defense issues, claiming his innocence.

In an article published in July, he denounced the arbitrariness of the security services and the justice system which supports these cases. According to Ivan Safronov, the repressive system is such that “anyone who has had contact with a foreigner” can potentially be accused of “treason” in Russia.

With AFP