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Charges issued in US to individuals accused of espionage for Russia

All in all, the indictment features eleven people but international media say three of them are in Russia
Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS
Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

NEW YORK, October 4 (Itar-Tass) – Official charges were issued Thursday to the U.S. citizen Alexander Fishenko, who is said to be an owner of computer companies in Texas and Moscow, and to another six individuals allegedly engaged in the exports of some defense-sensitive high-tech to unspecified Russian intelligence agencies.

Fishenko, a 46-year-old native of Kazakhstan who was naturalized in the U.S., is charged with operating on the American territory as an unregistered agent of the Russian government. If the court passes a guilty verdict on him, he may face a prospect of twelve years in jail.

All in all, the indictment features eleven people but international media say three of them are in Russia.

According to the BBC, Fishenko and others are accused of ‘smuggling’ to Russia some types of “microelectronics, which could be used in radar and surveillance systems, weapons guidance systems and detonation triggers.”

In Moscow, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters the charges against the group are not related in any way whatever data gathering activity.

Fishenko’s lawyer Eric Reed told reporters the defense plans to scrutinize all the details of the case.

A court in Houston where the case is to be heard is expected to consider a possibility of releasing the suspects from custody until trial.