Ivan Safronov’s defense lawyers appeal his two-month arrest

Defense attorneys for former investigative journalist and Roscosmos communications advisor Ivan Safronov have appealed his two-month arrest, his lawyer Ivan Pavlov, the head of the human rights organization “Team 29,” told Interfax. 

“My colleague Evgeny Smirnov and I filed an appeal against the Lefortovo Court’s decision on the arrest of Safronov,” Pavlov confirmed, underscoring that the defense considers the court’s decision unlawful and unjustified.

“We didn’t see the case materials the investigation presented as the justification for why it was necessary to take such a strict preventative measure [against] Ivan, [or] evidence of his involvement in the crime,” Pavlov stated.

At the time of writing, the Moscow City Court had yet to set a date for the consideration of the appeal.

Ivan Safronov previously worked as an investigative journalist for the Russian business newspapers Kommersant and Vedomosti. He went to work as a communications advisor to the head of Russia’s space corporation, Roscosmos, in May 2020. 

On July 7, federal agents arrested Safronov on treason charges. According to the investigation, he was recruited by Czech intelligence in 2012, and later passed them classified information. Safronov has denied any guilt. Moscow’s Lefortovo Court sentenced him to two months in jail that same day. 

On July 7–8 Moscow and other cities across Russia saw single-person demonstrations in support of Safronov. A number of media outlets, including Meduza, published statements condemning the allegations against Safronov and demanding his release.