Russia denies knowledge of spy plot as US man appears in court on charges |
Thursday, 04 October 2012 20:06 | |||
Alexander Fishenko and six others accused of selling microelectronics to be used in Russian weapons systems A Kazakh-born US citizen appeared in court Thursday on charges of illegally smuggling military technology for Russian intelligence. Alexander Fishenko and six others did not enter pleas at an initial hearing in Houston, during which they were formally briefed on the indictment. They will return to court on Friday at a session to determine if they are to be released on bail ahead of a possible trial. Prosecutors claim the defendants sold cutting-edge microelectronics that could be used in Russian weapons systems, exchanged communications with Russian intelligence and tried to hide documents when they suspected authorities were onto them. Moscow has denied it has anything to do with the alleged network, details of which were released by US authorities on Wednesday. The Russian foreign ministry has expressed surprise at the allegations. "The charges are of a criminal nature and have nothing to do with intelligence activity," deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov told Russian news agencies. The situation had led to concern in Russia, whose relations with its former cold war enemy remain difficult despite President Barack Obama's call for a new start. Authorities were questioning the Russian nationals who were among the accused, Ryabkov said. Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said Washington had informed Moscow that the charges were criminal and unrelated to espionage. US authorities had "not properly informed" Russia of the arrest of its citizens and Russian diplomats were seeking access to them, he added. A consul had met one in a courtroom, he said. In all, some 11 people, and companies based in Houston, Texas and Moscow, have been accused of illegally exporting high-tech components to Russian security agencies. A US official said Fishenko, a Kazakhstan native who immigrated to the United States in 1994 and has frequently travelled to Russia, had been charged with operating in the United States as an unregistered agent of the Russian government. The indictment alleges that since October 2008, the 46-year-old and his co-defendants "engaged in a surreptitious and systematic conspiracy" to obtain the highly regulated technology from US makers and export them to Russia. US authorities say the microelectronics could have a wide range of military uses, including radar and surveillance systems, weapons guidance systems and detonation triggers. They also say the charges come amid a modernization campaign by Russian military officials hungry for the restricted, American-made components. "The defendants tried to take advantage of America's free markets to steal American technologies for the Russian government," Loretta Lynch, US attorney in Brooklyn, said in a statement Wednesday. In an interview this week, foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow and Washington must do more to strengthen relations because the "reset" called for by Obama could not last forever. Republican candidate Mitt Romney has accused Obama of being soft on Moscow during his four-year term and described Russia as the United States' "number one geopolitical foe". guardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
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