Head of exports at the Central Research Institute for Machine Building (TsNIIMASH-Export) Igor Reshetin (center) and TsNIIMASH-Export chief economist Sergey Vizir (right) await sentencing in Lefortovo Court, December 3, 2007.
Photo: Alexey Kudenko
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Scientists Sentenced in Export Case
The Lefortovo Court in Moscow has passed sentence on the scientists accused of illegally providing China with double-use technology, smuggling and misappropriation of 100 million rubles through fictitious companies while working on a contract with a Chinese company to calculate the aerodynamics of spacecraft. They sent 13 reports to China. As double-use technology permission of Ministry of Economic Development and Trade was needed, but not obtained, for their export.
Igor Reshetin, general director of ZAO TsIIMASH Export and member of the Russian Academy of Cosmonautics, was sentenced to 11.5 years in a prison camp. Sergey Vizir was sentenced to 11 years in a camp. Mikhail Ivanov and Alexander Rozhkin were sentenced to five years' “general regime.”
Several members of the Russian Academy of Sciences testified that the information provided by the scientists was not of double use. The court rejected their claims, but handed down somewhat milder sentences than demanded by the prosecutor in light of the men's contributions to science. The prosecutor has asked for prison sentences of 12 years in maximum security for Reshetin, 11 years for Vizir, 8 for Ivanov and 6 for Rozhkin.
Anatoly Yablokov, Reshetin's lawyer, said that the court's decision would be appealed.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Dec. 04, 2007
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