MOSCOW, July 16 (RAPSI) – Ex-journalist Ivan Safronov charged with treason would stay detained until September as his appeal against detention was dismissed on Thursday, RAPSI reported from the Moscow City Court.

The hearing was held behind closed doors because of secrecy.

Earlier on Thursday, lawyer Ivan Pavlov told RAPSI that information on alleged cooperation between Safronov and Czech intelligence agencies had been fixed by the Russian Foreign Intelligence.

On July 13, he was charged with treason. 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.