Moscow Court Extends Pretrial Detention For Cybersecurity Company Chief Accused Of Treason

A court in Moscow has extended the pretrial detention of the chief executive of a leading Russian cybersecurity company who was arrested in September on charges of state treason.

The Lefortovo district court on November 23 ruled that Ilya Sachkov must stay in pretrial detention until at least February 28, 2022.

Sachkov is the founder of Group-IB, a company known for its work in tracking down hackers and fighting theft and cyberfraud.

He is one in a series of prominent people, including scientists and cybersecurity officials, to be arrested in Russia on treason charges in recent years, while Moscow has faced numerous allegations of cyberattacks on Western countries -- which it has denied.

Investigators said Sachkov was suspected of passing classified information to a foreign country. No other details were given by officials.

Sachkov’s lawyer, Sergei Afanasyev, said after his client's pretrial detention was prolonged that the court's ruling will be appealed. He also read aloud Sachkov's statement, calling on the Russian President Vladimir Putin to intervene in his case and allow him to stay home before his trial.

Sachkov has maintained his innocence, insisting that the case against him is not connected with Group-IB's activities.

Sachkov was arrested and charged after police searched his company's offices in Moscow on September 28.

Group-IB, founded in 2003, has grown markedly in recent years as cybercrimes have increased globally.

In addition to Moscow, the company has offices in Singapore, London, New York, and Dubai.

Based on reporting by TASS and Interfax