A prominent Cybersecurity executive was sentenced to 14 years in prison by a Russian court for treason after it was claimed that he provided confidential information to foreign spies.
Ilya Sachkov founded Group-IB, which focuses on countering cyberattacks, preventing online fraud, and investigating advanced cybercrimes. The company’s clients include Russian banks and businesses, including state-run ones.
Overview
Sachkov, who denied involvement, founded the Group-IB in 2003, one of Russia’s most prominent cybersecurity companies. He no longer remains associated with the firm but still owns a share in its former Russian business. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) arrested him in September 2021.
Ilya Sachkov’s trial was held behind closed doors, as is conventional practice in treason cases, and little is known about the case against him. According to the sources, Sachkov has been ordered to serve his sentence in a high-security penal colony.
Sachkov’s lawyer told reporters that he had hoped for an acquittal because he believed sufficient proof of his innocence was provided.
Following his conviction, Sachkov’s former colleagues, who purchased Group-IB’s Russian company and renamed it FACCT, claimed that his legal team would appeal his conviction and request intervention from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In #Russia, the founder of the international company in the field of cybersecurity Group-IB, Ilya Sachkov, was sentenced to 14 years in a treason case. pic.twitter.com/1n1YGwWNHH
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) July 26, 2023
Group-IB’s Statement
A statement from the company mentions that he was denied the right to connect with the outside world during his detention — no calls and no letters — for the first several months, and barred from any visits from family and friends.
“Ultimately, Ilya has been denied a chance for an impartial trial,” says a blog post on the company’s website. “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.”
In the statement, the company revealed that they believe in Ilaya’s innocence by saying, “an individual who has consistently and convincingly advocated for responsible behaviour in the digital space and one who has devoted his entire life to fighting against digital crime is being sent to jail for 14 years.
“Employees have taken what has happened calmly, and they continue to support Ilya in the hope he will be released and rehabilitated,” the statement affirmed.
Sachkov’s Conflict with Russian Authorities
Prior to his arrest in 2021, Sachkov openly criticised the Kremlin for disregarding the Russian ransomware attacks.
During a speech published by the Financial Times in 2021, Sachkov spoke against Russian hacker Maksim Yakubets, the suspected leader of a hacking gang called Evil Corp, which US investigators claim has stolen hundreds of millions of dollars over the last decade.
Bloomberg reported in December 2021 that Sachkov was accused of providing intelligence to the US regarding the Russian “Fancy Bear” operation, which aimed to influence the 2016 US election. Fancy Bear is among the numerous names for an advanced Russian cyber espionage operation affiliated with the Russian military intelligence agency GRU.
Sachkov’s criticism of the Kremlin’s apparent tolerance of some cybercriminals lasted until late September, when he was arrested and charged with treason by the FSB.
Ilya Sachkov is one of a group of prominent people, including scientists and cybersecurity officials, to be arrested in Russia on treason charges in recent years.https://t.co/umMAflfWtZ
— Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (@RFERL) July 26, 2023
Russia’s Crackdown on Dissent
Sachkov is the latest among many individuals facing treason allegations in Russia in recent years, including scientists, military officials, and a former journalist.
A Moscow court sentenced prominent Kremlin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza to 25 years in jail for treason and “discrediting” the Armed Forces of Russia after he denounced Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine. According to the reports, Kara-Murza was found guilty of treason, sharing false information about the Russian army, and being associated with an “undesirable organisation.”
Alexei Navalny, a political opponent, is well-known to be a harsh critic of Putin’s actions in the Kremlin and for exposing corruption in Russian politics. After nearly five months of recovery in Germany, Navalny returned to Russia in January 2021, when he was quickly arrested by authorities and sentenced to two years in jail.
In 2021, the Moscow City Court ruled to ban Navalny’s Foundation for Fighting Corruption (FBK), designating it an “extremist” group.