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Safronov’s case not linked to his professional activities, Russian intelligence chief says

Safronov was a reporter for the Kommersant daily in 2012-2017

Ivan Safronov Valery Sharifulin/TASS

Ivan Safronov

© Valery Sharifulin/TASS

MOSCOW, July 10. /TASS/. The detention of Ivan Safronov, an advisor to the head of Russia’s Roscosmos space agency, is in no way linked to his professional activities, Russian Foreign Intelligence Service Director Sergei Naryshkin told reporters on Friday.

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Bank accounts of Russia’s high treason suspect Safronov blocked - source

"I would like to highlight a few important things," he said in response to a question. "First, I highly appreciate the skills of Russian intelligence personnel. Second, the defendant’s detention and the charges brought against him are in no way linked to his professional activities," Naryshkin pointed out.

"And third, I don’t recommend anyone try to put pressure on the investigation, let alone on the court. Only the court can decide whether a defendant is guilty or not," he stressed.

According to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), Safronov was recruited by Czech intelligence in 2012. Eventually, he collected information on Russia’s defense cooperation with African countries and the Russian military’s activities in the Middle East in 2017 and passed it to the Czech Office for Foreign Relations and Information. However, the information was actually meant for US intelligence agencies. Safronov was a reporter for the Kommersant daily in 2012-2017. According to a FSB investigator, the case is not linked to Safronov’s work as a journalist.

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