MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th July, 2020) Ivan Safronov, a former Russian journalist now working as an adviser to the head of the national space agency Roscosmos, is suspected of working for Czech special services, lawyer Ivan Pavlov told Sputnik on Tuesday, soon after Safronov was arrested for two months.
The Russian Federal Security Service suspects Safronov of passing classified defense information to a NATO special service. Formal charges are expected to be brought on July 13.
"The investigator said quite loudly that Ivan is suspected of being linked to Czech special services, which are, as it is known, linked to US special services ... He also said there is proof of passing a document, but the case contains no documents and no information about the transfer," Pavlov said.
The case against Safronov is related to the passing of classified information about Russian weapons deliveries to Africa to the Czech intelligence, lawyer Evgeny Smirnov specified.
"[Accusations are related to] handing information about Russia's defense cooperation with African countries, and the Russian armed forces' activities in the middle East," Smirnov explained, adding that the investigation believes that the former defense journalist was acting on instruction from the Czech special services.
