Russian Cybersecurity Chief Ilya Sachkov Sentenced to 14 Years for Treason
Russian authorities arrested Ilya Sachkov, co-founder and long-time leader of Russian cybersecurity firm Group-IB, in 2021. He was charged with treason, but the details of the allegations remained secret due to a closed trial and classification of information as state secrets.
Sachkov was arrested on September 28, 2021, and charged with treason under Article 275 of the Russian Criminal Code. The trial was held in secret, preventing public scrutiny of evidence and the final sentence. Experts and media outlets suspect political motivations behind the charges, potentially linked to Sachkov's international collaborations and critical stance on cybercrime. Prior to his arrest, Sachkov publicly criticized the Kremlin for not addressing ransomware attacks originating from Russia. He was also alleged to have provided the United States with information about the Russian 'Fancy Bear' operation in 2016. Group-IB maintained Sachkov's innocence, and human rights advocates criticized the secretive trial and the growing restrictions on digital freedoms in Russia.
Sachkov was convicted after a three-week closed trial and sentenced to 14 years in prison. During his initial detainment, he was denied communication with the outside world and visits from family and friends. In 2019, Sergei Mikhailov and Ruslan Stoyanov, also from Group-IB, were sentenced to 22 and 14 years respectively for alleged treason charges, with no disclosed reasons. Both men were suspected of leaking information about Russian hacking activities tied to the 2016 U.S. election to American intelligence officials. Maksim Yakubets, head of Evil Corp, was also accused of assisting Russian government's malicious cyber efforts.
Ilya Sachkov, former founder and CEO of Group-IB, was convicted of treason and sentenced to 14 years in prison. His arrest and conviction, along with other Group-IB employees, raise concerns about the growing restrictions on digital freedoms and the targeting of cybersecurity experts in Russia. The secretive nature of the trials and the lack of transparency in the allegations against them further exacerbate these concerns.
