© RT
By all accounts, Ivan Safronov was set for a stellar career at the heart of Moscow's political establishment. Aged 30, he'd left a prestigious journalistic role to become an aide to the head of Roscosmos, Russia's answer to NASA.
That changed dramatically in July last year, when
he was arrested by agents from the FSB, the country's top domestic security agency, and
charged with treason. In a statement, officials said that
he was suspected of passing state secrets to spooks from a NATO nation. On Tuesday last, a Moscow court extended his arrest, meaning he will languish behind bars until at least May, while prosecutors prepare the case against him.
Safronov's lawyer, Ivan Pavlov, revealed after his arrest that, in files shared by investigators,
"the Czech Republic is the state that is mentioned as receiving classified information," allegedly transferred over the internet.
"Prosecutors believe that the US has become the ultimate recipient," the advocate added. His client continues to maintain his innocence.
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