Anatoly Maslov, a 77-year-old Russian physicist, has been sentenced to 14 years in a maximum-security penal colony. Judge Irina Furmanova of the St. Petersburg City Court delivered the verdict, as reported by Siberian Express.
Anatoly Maslov was found guilty of treason. The prosecution demanded a 17-year sentence, but the court ultimately imposed 14 years. Since 2022, Maslov has been held in pre-trial detention at Lefortovo Prison. Allegations suggest he was suspected of transferring data related to hypersonic technology. According to the Federal Security Service, Maslov purportedly handed over classified scientific information to German intelligence in 2014.
Despite the accusations, Maslov has maintained his innocence throughout the closed trial proceedings. In his final statement, he said he committed no illegal acts and devoted his life to his family and Russian science.
Anatoly Maslov, a physicist from Novosibirsk, is an expert in laminar-turbulent transition and gas viscosity. His work demonstrated the possibility of fully stabilising the supersonic boundary layer by cooling the aircraft’s surface, a significant contribution to physics.
Maslov works at the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics and teaches physics at Novosibirsk State University and Novosibirsk State Technical University. His colleagues had called for his release from detention.
In February 2024, Anatoly Maslov suffered a heart attack while in St. Petersburg’s pre-trial detention centre. His health has significantly deteriorated, and his lawyer stated that he has not been receiving adequate medical care.
The case against Maslov was bolstered by testimony from Alexander Kuranov, the former head of the Research Institute of Hypersonic Systems. Kuranov, who was arrested on charges of treason a year before Maslov, was sentenced to seven years in a maximum-security colony, a term below the statutory minimum of 12 years.
Maslov’s sentencing marks a further development in Russia’s ongoing scrutiny of its scientific community. Between 2000 and the end of 2020, more than 30 scientists in Russia have been prosecuted and arrested. Since 2021, more criminal cases have been reported.
Elia Kabanov is a science writer covering the past, present and future of technology (@metkere)
Illustration: Elia Kabanov.