Russian Cyber Expert Accused of Spying for U.S. Gets 14 Years Behind Bars

Ilya Sachkov, a Russian cyber expert accused of spying for the U.S., was handed a 14-year prison sentence on treason charges by a Russian court on Wednesday.

Following a closed-door trial in Moscow, Sachkov, co-founder of the Group-IB cybersecurity firm, was "found guilty under Article 275 of Russia's Criminal Code and sentenced ... to 14 years in prison with the sentence to be served in a strict regime penal colony," Judge Alexander Rybak said, AFP reported.

Sachkov, who denied wrongdoing and had been in pre-trial detention since September 2021, also received a 500,000 rubles ($5,557) fine. Prosecutors had asked for an 18-year prison sentence for Sachkov.

The 37-year-old co-founded Group-IB in 2003. The company describes itself as a global security leader which detects and prevents cyberattacks. It was focused on probing high-tech crimes and online fraud, including in Russia, at the time of Sachkov's arrest.

Group-IB issued a statement condemning Sachkov's sentencing, which it said followed "an unreasonably rushed trial that was held entirely behind closed doors."

Treason cases in Russia are typically sealed, and are punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The details of the charges against Sachkov have never been made public.

"Ilya spent almost two years in pre-trial detention, awaiting a trial that only started on July 6th, 2023. During his detainment, he was denied the right to communicate—no calls, no letters—with the outside world for the first few months, he was deprived of any visits from family and friends," the company said, adding that "ultimately, Ilya has been denied a chance for an impartial trial."

"All the materials of the case are kept classified, and all hearings were held in complete secrecy with no public scrutiny. As a result, we might never know the pretext for his conviction," the firm added.

Bloomberg, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported that Sachkov was alleged to have handed information to the U.S. government on a group of Russian military intelligence-linked hackers dubbed "Fancy Bear." The group was accused of interfering in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Russia's state-run news agency Interfax cited investigators as saying that Sachkov shared "state secrets" with foreign special services, but said official details of the case have not been disclosed.

Sachkov had previously been given an award by Russian President Vladimir Putin for his work.

Newsweek has contacted Russia's Foreign Ministry for comment via email.

Update 7/26/23 9:02 a.m. EDT: This article was updated to add context.

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