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Igor Sutyagin

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Igor Sutyagin
Игорь Сутягин
Sutyagin in the 1990s
Born (1965-01-17) 17 January 1965 (age 59)
Occupation(s)Arms control and nuclear weapons specialist
SpouseIrina Manannikova
ChildrenOksana, Anastasiya

Igor Vyacheslavovich Sutyagin (Russian: И́горь Вячесла́вович Сутя́гин; born 17 January 1965) is a Russian arms control and nuclear weapons specialist. In 1998, he became the head of the subdivision for Military-Technical and Military-Economic Policy at the Institute for US and Canadian Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow, where he worked before he was arrested for treason on accusations he had given information to a British company, although he had no access to classified documentation as a civilian researcher.[1] Sutyagin spent 11 years in prison on espionage charges and was released by Russia in 2010 in exchange for the release of a group of spies arrested in the United States.

As of 2018, Sutyagin is a Research Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies in London.[2][3][4]

Background and trial

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With a degree in physics as well as history, Sutyagin worked on topics relating to U.S. and Russian nuclear weapons development, deployment and control and he is a co-author of a well-respected book on the Russian strategic nuclear forces.[5]

In October 1999, the Russian Federal Security Service detained Sutyagin and brought charges of espionage against him. They alleged that Sutyagin passed classified information to a London-based firm, Alternative Futures. Sutyagin acknowledged working with the company, but he said that all information about nuclear submarines he disclosed was based on material in the open literature and that, not having a security clearance, he never had access to classified sources.

In 2004, after a trial, a jury in Moscow unanimously found Sutyagin guilty of espionage. The jury found that Sutyagin disclosed secret information to Defense Intelligence Agency officers Shaun Kidd and Nadya Lokk, and that Sutyagin was paid for this. The court sentenced Sutyagin to 15 years of imprisonment.[6] In December 2005 Sutyagin was transferred to a penal colony in Kholmogory near Arkhangelsk.[7]

Reactions

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Sutyagin was listed as a political prisoner by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.[8] Human Rights Watch stated that "the FSB showed little respect for Sutiagin’s right to a fair trial: the charges against him were vaguely worded; his assertion that he only used open sources were never verified; investigators based the charges on secret decrees that Sutiagin was not allowed to see; the FSB violated numerous rules of criminal procedure; and officials publicly denounced Sutiagin as a spy prior to and during his trial.[9] Human rights activists argued that he had no access to secrets and had been working openly with academics.[10]

US–Russia spy swap

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On 9 July 2010, Sutyagin along with three other pardoned agents was released by Russia in exchange for the release of 10 people arrested in the United States of spying for Russia.[11][12] Sutyagin had always maintained his innocence but agreed to sign an admission of guilt as part of the deal.[7] Sutyagin reports that he had been asked to sign a pardon request falsely admitting guilt as early as 2005.[13] Shortly after his release, he told RFE/RL in an interview in August 2010, he just had been working for money. ("They criticize me for earning money.")[14] Sutyagin hopes to rejoin his wife Irina Manannikova and daughters Oksana and Anastasiya.[15][7] The US State Department does not consider Sutyagin to be a spy.[16]

In 2011, European Court of Human Rights has found violations of Articles 5 and 6 of European Convention on Human Rights by Russian authorities in Sutyagin's case.[17]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ The Chekist Takeover of the Russian State, Anderson, Julie (2006), International Journal of Intelligence and Counter-Intelligence, 19:2, 237 - 288.
  2. ^ "The EU Non-Proliferation Consortium - The Network". www.nonproliferation.eu. Archived from the original on 7 March 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
  3. ^ Russian troops stick to a tried and tested script, 2 March 2014
  4. ^ "Boris Johnson warns Russia over spy collapse". BBC News. 6 March 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  5. ^ This web page was removed. Russian strategic nuclear forces
  6. ^ "Приговор Игорю Сутягину, осужденному на 15 лет, обжалован в Верховном суде РФ". 14 April 2004.
  7. ^ a b c Parfitt, Tom (9 July 2010). "'Spy swap' begins as Russian scientist reportedly leaves Moscow". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
  8. ^ [1][permanent dead link‍] [2].
  9. ^ "[3]
  10. ^ "Profile: Russian spies released". BBC. 9 July 2010. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
  11. ^ White, Greg (7 June 2010). "Prisoner-Swap Deal Reported Likely in Russia Spy Case". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
  12. ^ Parfitt, Tom; Weaver, Matthew; Norton-Taylor, Richard (9 July 2010). "Spy swap: US and Russia hand over agents in full media glare". the Guardian.
  13. ^ Natalya Golitsyna (14 August 2010). "Interview: Igor Sutyagin Discusses 'Spy Swap,' Life In England". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. London.
  14. ^ Interview: Igor Sutyagin 'Spy Swap,' Life In England , rferl, 14 August 2010
  15. ^ Baker, Peter (13 August 2010). "Times Topics: Igor Sutyagin". New York Times. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
  16. ^ "We're sorry, that page can't be found". www.state.gov.
  17. ^ "HUDOC - European Court of Human Rights". cmiskp.echr.coe.int.
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