A Moscow court sentences Russian physicist Valeri Golubkin to twelve years for revealing secrets

June 26 () –

A Moscow court on Monday sentenced physicist Valeri Golubkin, a researcher at the Central Institute of Aerohydrodynamics in the Russian capital, to twelve years in prison for high treason after being arrested in 2020 in the framework of a case for revealing secrets.

Golubkin, who has been convicted under Article 275 of the Russian Criminal Code, was arrested in December 2020 for revealing secrets to a NATO country and accused of passing information for an international project on a hypersonic aircraft.

“Of course, we will appeal this verdict,” said Maria Eismont, the scientist’s lawyer, who has defended his innocence during the trial, held behind closed doors, the Interfax news agency has reported.

The Prosecutor’s Office had previously requested twelve years in prison against the scientist, who worked at the Central Institute of Aerohydrodynamics in Moscow, for delivering two reports with “state secrets” to two Dutch physicists in 2018. In the project, in addition to Russia, the European Space Agency and countries such as Australia and Italy, among others, also participated.