Russian court jails physicist for 12 years in treason case

He was the latest of a number of Russian scientists to be charged with treason in recent years on suspicion of passing sensitive material to foreigners. Critics of the Kremlin say the arrests sometimes stem from unfounded paranoia, something the authorities deny.

Gubanov, who worked at a Moscow institute, was arrested in December 2020 and accused of betraying classified information about Russia's aviation industry.

His colleague at the same department, Valery Golubkin, received a similar 12-year jail sentence for treason in June after being found guilty of handing over state secrets to "representatives of foreign organisations".

Russia's parliament voted in April this year to increase the maximum penalty for treason to life imprisonment, up from 20 years. Three hypersonic missile scientists based at an institute in Siberia are also currently on trial facing treason charges.