MOSCOW, July 8 (RAPSI) – Treason charges were brought against advisor of the Roscosmos state corporation’s CEO and ex-journalist of Kommersant newspaper Ivan Safronov, his attorney Ivan Pavlov told RAPSI on Monday.

The defendant pleaded not guilty, according to the lawyer. 

Safronov was arrested on July 8. The same day Moscow’s Lefortovsky District Court detained him until September 6. He is suspected of treason. According to the Roscosmos press service, Safronov’s arrest is not connected with his work in the company.

Investigators claim Safronov has transmitted secret military information to the Czech intelligence services which, as it known, are linked to the U.S. security agencies. 

The former reporter of Kommersant and Vedomosti newspapers was appointed as advisor of Dmitry Rogozin in May 2020 after a scandal related to the publication of an explosive article about possible resignation of the Federation Council head Valentina Matviyenko.