[FPSPACE] Another Spy Trial: Igor Sutyagin - Is it a serious crisis already ?

[Dwayne Allen Day]

On Wed, 27 Dec 2000, Woods, Dave wrote:

> Kostya sent me this note.  I think it is something that all of us
> researchers should keep in mind if and when we might make 
> another trip to Russia to collect information.  Historical stuff
> and pure space program subjects are probably safe, but when 
> you venture into the area of military systems, be careful.

There is a full story at:

http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A52362-2000Dec26.html


> > From:	Constantine Domashnev [SMTP:
> > Implication: any of you, experts in Russian Space program, or me, who
> > have learnt the details about the program from open sources, still could
> > be accused in spying against Russia simply because information about a
> > sensitive subject was aggregated.

I have to agree with Dave and Constantine.  I had exactly the same thought
while reading the Washington Post story.  This now marks at least the
third time that someone has been charged for espionage when they were
using what we would consider "open" sources.  There was the noted trial of
the former Russian submarine captain who reported on environmental
problems, the Pope trial, where he was gathering unclassified information,
and now this trial.  All of these cases indicate that people doing
research in Russia on unclassified material could be charged with
espionage.

If you read the Post article, you will see mention of Joshua Handler, a US
researcher who used to work for Greenpeace.  Handler is a Princeton
Ph.D. student who has written about Russian military environmental
problems.  His Moscow apartment was searched, his laptop and notes were
seized, and he was briefly detained.  He was then advised by friends to
get out of the country before he got arrested.  He fled, without any of
his research material.  The Russians now claim that he was a US
intelligence agent.

Handler wrote about this incident early this year in the Bulletin of the
Atomic Scientists.  I will see if I can find his article on-line.  He
stated that he clearly felt threatened and he thought they were trying to
make an example out of him:  poke around in sensitive subjects and you may
be arrested.

I disagree with Dave on this and agree with Constantine that there is a
real danger to space researchers, even those dealing with historical
material.  

As we all know, there is a very blurry line between what is and is not
classified in Russia today.  For instance, the Russians have released info
on their spy satellite programs, but have not released any pictures taken
by those programs.  What if a researcher manages to obtain one of those
photos?  Could he be arrested for espionage even though someone connected
to the program willingly gave him the photo?

I think it is only a matter of time before a space researcher gets
arrested for this.



DDAY