MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th July, 2020) An investigator from the Federal Security Service (FSB) offered Ivan Safronov, an aide to the head of the Russian space agency and a treason suspect, a plea bargain with the disclosure of his sources, but was refused, Safronov's lawyer, Ivan Pavlov, told Sputnik on Tuesday.
"An investigator offered him a deal, as part of which he would have to admit his guilt and reveal his journalistic sources, Safronov refused this proposal," Pavlov said.
According to the lawyer, they did not seriously consider this proposal, since Safronov has not admitted guilt and intends to defend himself.
On July 7, Safronov was detained over allegations of passing classified defense information to a NATO country's special service, which amounts to treason, and placed in custody until September 6 on the same day. He has since denied the charges. Safronov's legal defense has said that he is suspected of passing information about Russia's arms deliveries to Africa to the Czech special services, with the United States claimed to be the end recipient of the information.
Space agency Roscosmos, where Safronov now works as an adviser to its chief, said that the detention was not related to his work for the space agency. Before Roscosmos, Safronov worked for the Kommersant and Vedomosti newspapers for ten years, covering topics related to defense and space industries. According to the Kommersant publishing house, the high treason accusations against Safronov are absurd, as he is a "true patriot." Vedomosti has urged an impartial and lawful examination of Safronov's case.
Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in turn, said that the detention of Safronov did not appear to be connected to his work as a journalist.
