Igor Sutyagin
Encyclopedia
Igor V. Sutyagin is a Russia
n arms control and nuclear weapon
s 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
, although he had no access to classified documentation as a civilian researcher.
With a degree in physics
as well as history
, Sutyagin worked on topics relating to U.S. and Russian nuclear weapon
s development, deployment and control and he is a co-author of a well-respected book on the Russian strategic nuclear forces
.
In October 1999, the Russian Federal Security Service
detained Sutyagin and brought against him charges of espionage
. 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 atomic submarines he disclosed was based on material in the open literature, and without a security clearance he never had access to classified sources.
In 2004, after a trial, a jury
in Moscow unanimously found Sutyagin guilty in espionage. The jury found it proven that Sutyagin disclosed a secret information to the CIA agents Shaun Kidd and Nadya Lokk, and was paid for this. The court sentenced him to 15 years of imprisonment. In December 2005 Sutyagin was transferred to a penal colony in Kholmogory
near Arkhangelsk
.
Russian journalist Yulia Latynina
argued that although communications of Sutyagin with foreign spy agencies have never been proven, he passed open source
information to suspicious foreigners, which must be punished. She said that even providing information about temperature in Moscow to CIA would represent a high treason
. In reply, lawyer Boris Kuznetsov
, who represented Sutyagin previously, hinted that the Russian secret service FSB
benefited from her program in Echo of Moscow
,
which she vigorously denied.
Sutyagin's case was listed as a political prisoner
by Human Rights Watch
and Amnesty International
. 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. Human rights activists argued that he had no access to secrets and had been working openly with academics.
On July 9, 2010 Sutyagin was swapped by Russia for the release of 10 people
arrested in the United States for spying for Russia. He had always maintained his innocence but agreed to sign an admission of guilt as part of the deal. Sutyagin reports that he had been asked to sign a pardon request falsely admitting guilt as early as 2005. The US State Department does not consider Sutyagin to be a spy.
Sutyagin hopes to rejoin his wife Irina Manannikova and daughters Isabella and Lena.
In 2011, ECtHR has found violations of Articles 5 and 6 of ECHR by Russian authorities in Sutyagin's case.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n arms control and nuclear weapon
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
s 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
Institute for US and Canadian Studies
Institute for US and Canadian Studies - is a Russian think tank which is part of the Russian Academy of Sciences, specializing on the comprehensive studies of the United States and Canada....
of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Russian Academy of Sciences
The Russian Academy of Sciences consists of the national academy of Russia and a network of scientific research institutes from across the Russian Federation as well as auxiliary scientific and social units like libraries, publishers and hospitals....
in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, where he worked before he was arrested for treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
, although he had no access to classified documentation as a civilian researcher.
With a degree in physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
as well as history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, Sutyagin worked on topics relating to U.S. and Russian nuclear weapon
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
s development, deployment and control and he is a co-author of a well-respected book on the Russian strategic nuclear forces
Strategic Rocket Forces
The Strategic Missile Troops or Strategic Rocket Forces of the Russian Federation or RVSN RF , transliteration: Raketnye voyska strategicheskogo naznacheniya Rossiyskoy Federatsii, literally Missile Troops of Strategic Designation of the Russian Federation) are a military branch of the Russian...
.
In October 1999, the Russian Federal Security Service
FSB (Russia)
The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation is the main domestic security agency of the Russian Federation and the main successor agency of the Soviet Committee of State Security . Its main responsibilities are counter-intelligence, internal and border security, counter-terrorism, and...
detained Sutyagin and brought against him charges of espionage
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
. 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 atomic submarines he disclosed was based on material in the open literature, and without a security clearance he never had access to classified sources.
In 2004, after a trial, a jury
Jury
A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to ascertain the guilt, or lack thereof, in a crime. In Anglophone jurisdictions, the verdict may be guilty,...
in Moscow unanimously found Sutyagin guilty in espionage. The jury found it proven that Sutyagin disclosed a secret information to the CIA agents Shaun Kidd and Nadya Lokk, and was paid for this. The court sentenced him to 15 years of imprisonment. In December 2005 Sutyagin was transferred to a penal colony in Kholmogory
Kholmogory
Kholmogory is a historic village and the administrative center of Kholmogorsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on the left bank of the Northern Dvina, along the Kholmogory Highway, 75 km southeast of Arkhangelsk and 90 km north of the Antonievo-Siysky Monastery. The name...
near Arkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk , formerly known as Archangel in English, is a city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina River near its exit into the White Sea in the north of European Russia. The city spreads for over along the banks of the river...
.
Russian journalist Yulia Latynina
Yulia Latynina
Yulia Leonidovna Latynina is a Russian journalist, writer and radio host. She works at the radio station Echo of Moscow. She also writes for Novaya Gazeta and The Moscow Times.-Writer, journalist and radio host:...
argued that although communications of Sutyagin with foreign spy agencies have never been proven, he passed open source
Open source intelligence
Open-source intelligence is a form of intelligence collection management that involves finding, selecting, and acquiring information from publicly available sources and analyzing it to produce actionable intelligence...
information to suspicious foreigners, which must be punished. She said that even providing information about temperature in Moscow to CIA would represent a high treason
High treason
High treason is criminal disloyalty to one's government. Participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplomats, or its secret services for a hostile and foreign power, or attempting to kill its head of state are perhaps...
. In reply, lawyer Boris Kuznetsov
Boris Abramovich Kuznetsov
Boris Avramovich Kuznetsov is a prominent Russian lawyer who has acted in many notable criminal and human rights cases, and who has been persecuted by the Russian authorities. He left Russia in 2007 and in February 2008 was granted asylum in the US. His absence caused the case against him to be...
, who represented Sutyagin previously, hinted that the Russian secret service FSB
FSB (Russia)
The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation is the main domestic security agency of the Russian Federation and the main successor agency of the Soviet Committee of State Security . Its main responsibilities are counter-intelligence, internal and border security, counter-terrorism, and...
benefited from her program in Echo of Moscow
Echo of Moscow
Echo of Moscow is a Russian radio station based in Moscow, broadcasting in many Russian cities, in some of the former-Soviet republics , and via the Internet, which some observers describe as "the last bastion of free media in Russia"...
,
which she vigorously denied.
Sutyagin's case was listed as a political prisoner
Political prisoner
According to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, a political prisoner is ‘someone who is in prison because they have opposed or criticized the government of their own country’....
by Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
and Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
. 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. Human rights activists argued that he had no access to secrets and had been working openly with academics.
On July 9, 2010 Sutyagin was swapped by Russia for the release of 10 people
Illegals Program
The Illegals Program, as it was called by the United States Department of Justice, was a network of Russian sleeper agents under non-official cover whose investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation culminated in the arrest of ten agents and a prisoner swap between Russia and the United...
arrested in the United States for spying for Russia. He had always maintained his innocence but agreed to sign an admission of guilt as part of the deal. Sutyagin reports that he had been asked to sign a pardon request falsely admitting guilt as early as 2005. The US State Department does not consider Sutyagin to be a spy.
Sutyagin hopes to rejoin his wife Irina Manannikova and daughters Isabella and Lena.
In 2011, ECtHR has found violations of Articles 5 and 6 of ECHR by Russian authorities in Sutyagin's case.
External links
- Support Igor Sutyagin website (English)
- The Igor Sutyagin Affair (Russian)
- Case 52 (English)
- Human Rights Watch's page on Sutyagin