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July 07, 2020The well-known Russian journalist Ivan Safronov, former investigative reporter of the Kommersant newspaper for which he was involved in military affairs, aerospace industry and technical-military cooperation, was arrested in Moscow.
Two months ago the journalist was hired as a consultant to the director of the Russian aerospace agency "Roskosmos" for communications and corporate information policy. Ivan Safronov was stopped by agents near his home and his apartment was searched. According to investigators, the reporter collaborated with the services of a NATO member state, providing classified materials covered by state secrecy, particularly concerning Russia's military-technical cooperation, defense and national security.
The charge is of high treason in the form of espionage. Penalty of 12 to 20 years imprisonment. According to Safronov's lawyer, his client allegedly declared himself innocent, rejecting all charges. According to the sources of "Roskosmos", the reporter did not have access to company information covered by state secrecy.