“As for 22 years ... I know that he was not only a journalist, but also an adviser to the head of Roskosmos and earned money not only by journalistic activities, but by collecting relevant materials and handing them over to one of the Western intelligence services,” Putin said.
According to him, counterintelligence followed Safronov for several years, “sitting on his communication channels” with those who paid him money for closed, secret information.
“I recorded everything, in the course of investigative actions I arrested not only him, but also the means of communication that he used.
The court considered this proven and adopted the appropriate court decision, ”the president added.
On September 5, the Moscow City Court sentenced Safronov to 22 years in a strict regime colony in the case of treason.
In addition, the man was fined 500 thousand rubles and two years of restriction of freedom after serving his sentence.
Ivan Safronov, an adviser to the head of Roscosmos, a former journalist for Kommersant and Vedomosti, was detained in July 2020.