Journalist Ivan Safronov suspected of transmitting secret information to NATO

According to the sources, it may be related to his article on the supply of Russian MiG aircraft to Egypt, published in the Kommersant newspaper last spring.

Ivan Safronov became an information policy adviser to Dmitry Rogozin, Director General of Roscosmos Corporation, most recently, in May of this year. Previously, he was a correspondent for the Kommersant and Vedomosti newspapers. The journalist was dismissed from Kommersant at the request of the owner of the publication because of an article on the possible resignation of Federation Council speaker Valentina Matvienko, but all the journalists of the newspaper’s politics department quit as a sign of solidarity.

In connection with the publication of Ivan Safronov on the delivery of Russian aircraft to Egypt, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo threatened this country with sanctions, and the Kommersant newspaper in Russia was tried to bring to administrative responsibility under the article on disclosure of state secrets, but the court did not consider the materials.

According to Dozhd TV channel, Ivan Safronov, "fulfilling the task of one of the NATO special services, collected and transmitted to its representative the information about military-technical cooperation, defense and security of the Russian Federation that constituted state secrets". A case of high treason has been opened against the journalist under Article 275 of the Criminal Code.

Russian President’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented on Ivan Safronov’s case with the words “counterintelligence officers are doing very high quality work”. “As far as we are aware, this detention is not related to the journalistic activities”, - said Dmitry Peskov. Ivan Safronov covered the work of the government, worked in the presidential pool. We know that in recent months Ivan has ceased to engage in journalistic activities. Unfortunately, such accusations have been voiced”. At the same time, Dmitry Peskov added that he considers the detained journalist a professional in his field: “Ivan will have the opportunity to defend himself, to have protection. No special control is needed here. Although it would be strange if the case on the work of foreign intelligence in our territory would be transparent ".