Zaina Alibhai - METRO UK
A Russian scientist who was suffering from advanced pancreatic cancer has died shortly after being arrested for high treason.
Dmitry Kolker, 54, was dragged from his hospital bed in Novosibirsk, Siberia, and flown to Moscow’s Lefortovo prison.
He passed away within two days, and his family believe his death was partly down to his mistreatment at the hands of Federal Security Service (FSB) officers.
‘He died yesterday. Tomorrow we will lodge a complaint over his detention,’ lawyer Alexander Fedulov said.
Kolker, a doctor of physics and maths, was the head of the quantum optical technologies lab at the Novosibirsk State University.
He was regarded as a world expert on lasers, leading to the accusation that he had colluded with the Chinese security service – a charge he and his family denied.
The scientist had travelled to China on a lecturing trip, his son said, but had been accompanied by an FSB agent at all times.
© Provided by MetroThe laser expert with his daughter Alina Mironova (Picture: Alina Mironova/east2west news)
© Provided by MetroKolker was unplugged from his hospital bed and transported to Moscow (Picture:Twitter)
Kolker, who had stage four cancer, was too weak for chemotherapy when he was detained.
The FSB claims it had medical authorisation to unplug him from his hospital bed and transport him to prison.
A number of Russian scientists have been accused of passing on state secrets and charged with treason in recent years.
The charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Following Kolker’s arrest, a second scientist was detained in the same Siberian city but it wasn’t immediately clear if the two cases were linked.
Antoly Maslov, a chief scientist at an institute of theoretical and applied mechanics, was also transferred to Lefortovo prison.
He was accused of sharing hypersonic state secrets to a foreign power, believed to be China.
Dmitry Kolker, 54, was dragged from his hospital bed in Novosibirsk, Siberia, and flown to Moscow’s Lefortovo prison.
He passed away within two days, and his family believe his death was partly down to his mistreatment at the hands of Federal Security Service (FSB) officers.
‘He died yesterday. Tomorrow we will lodge a complaint over his detention,’ lawyer Alexander Fedulov said.
Kolker, a doctor of physics and maths, was the head of the quantum optical technologies lab at the Novosibirsk State University.
He was regarded as a world expert on lasers, leading to the accusation that he had colluded with the Chinese security service – a charge he and his family denied.
The scientist had travelled to China on a lecturing trip, his son said, but had been accompanied by an FSB agent at all times.
© Provided by MetroThe laser expert with his daughter Alina Mironova (Picture: Alina Mironova/east2west news)
© Provided by MetroKolker was unplugged from his hospital bed and transported to Moscow (Picture:Twitter)
Kolker, who had stage four cancer, was too weak for chemotherapy when he was detained.
The FSB claims it had medical authorisation to unplug him from his hospital bed and transport him to prison.
A number of Russian scientists have been accused of passing on state secrets and charged with treason in recent years.
The charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Following Kolker’s arrest, a second scientist was detained in the same Siberian city but it wasn’t immediately clear if the two cases were linked.
Antoly Maslov, a chief scientist at an institute of theoretical and applied mechanics, was also transferred to Lefortovo prison.
He was accused of sharing hypersonic state secrets to a foreign power, believed to be China.
Russian laser scientist dies 2 days after arrest: ‘He loved his country’
Dmitry Kolker had stage four pancreatic cancer and had been receiving treatment in hospital
(Picture: Alina Mironova/east2west news)
By Mark Trevelyan Reuters
Posted July 3, 2022
A Russian scientist who was arrested in Siberia last week on suspicion of state treason and flown to Moscow despite suffering from advanced pancreatic cancer has died, lawyers and a family member said on Sunday.
Physicist Dmitry Kolker, 54, had been taken from his hospital bed, where he was being fed through a tube, and bundled onto a flight of more than four hours to Moscow, where the lawyers said he was taken to Lefortovo prison and later died in a nearby hospital.
His cousin Anton Dianov told Reuters from the United States that the accusation against the laser specialist – that he had betrayed state secrets to China – was preposterous.
“He was a scientist, he loved his country, he was working in his country despite many invitations from leading universities and labs to go work abroad. He wanted to work in Russia, he wanted to teach students there,” he said.
“These charges are absolutely ridiculous and extremely cruel and unusual to be levied on such a sick man. They knew that he was on his deathbed and they chose to arrest him.”
The family and lawyers said Kolker was detained, and his house searched, by the FSB security service. They said the treason charges – which carry a sentence of up to 20 years – were based on lectures Kolker had delivered in China, even though the content had been approved by the FSB.
Reuters did not receive a reply to an emailed request for comment from the FSB.
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Lawyer Alexander Fedulov told Reuters he had attempted to contact the authorities on behalf of Kolker but been turned away from the FSB investigative department and from the prison.
He said he would file a legal complaint on Monday over the circumstances of Kolker’s detention.
On Saturday, state news agency TASS said Russia had detained a second scientist in Novosibirsk on suspicion of state treason. It was not clear if the two cases were connected.
A number of Russian scientists have been arrested and charged with treason in recent years for allegedly passing sensitive material to foreigners. Critics of the Kremlin say the arrests often stem from unfounded paranoia.
Dianov, the cousin, said Kolker was also a highly accomplished concert pianist and organist who performed in both Russia and Europe.
“To me, somebody who was producing such beautiful things could not have done what they accuse him of. And that’s for ever how I’m going to remember him,” he said, fighting back tears. “That’s who Dima is to me and the rest of the family.”
(Reporting by ReutersEditing by Alexandra Hudson)
Posted July 3, 2022
A Russian scientist who was arrested in Siberia last week on suspicion of state treason and flown to Moscow despite suffering from advanced pancreatic cancer has died, lawyers and a family member said on Sunday.
Physicist Dmitry Kolker, 54, had been taken from his hospital bed, where he was being fed through a tube, and bundled onto a flight of more than four hours to Moscow, where the lawyers said he was taken to Lefortovo prison and later died in a nearby hospital.
His cousin Anton Dianov told Reuters from the United States that the accusation against the laser specialist – that he had betrayed state secrets to China – was preposterous.
“He was a scientist, he loved his country, he was working in his country despite many invitations from leading universities and labs to go work abroad. He wanted to work in Russia, he wanted to teach students there,” he said.
“These charges are absolutely ridiculous and extremely cruel and unusual to be levied on such a sick man. They knew that he was on his deathbed and they chose to arrest him.”
The family and lawyers said Kolker was detained, and his house searched, by the FSB security service. They said the treason charges – which carry a sentence of up to 20 years – were based on lectures Kolker had delivered in China, even though the content had been approved by the FSB.
Reuters did not receive a reply to an emailed request for comment from the FSB.
2:31‘I needed to do whatever I could do’: Canadian man fighting on Ukraine’s front lines‘I needed to do whatever I could do’: Canadian man fighting on Ukraine’s front lines
Lawyer Alexander Fedulov told Reuters he had attempted to contact the authorities on behalf of Kolker but been turned away from the FSB investigative department and from the prison.
He said he would file a legal complaint on Monday over the circumstances of Kolker’s detention.
On Saturday, state news agency TASS said Russia had detained a second scientist in Novosibirsk on suspicion of state treason. It was not clear if the two cases were connected.
A number of Russian scientists have been arrested and charged with treason in recent years for allegedly passing sensitive material to foreigners. Critics of the Kremlin say the arrests often stem from unfounded paranoia.
Dianov, the cousin, said Kolker was also a highly accomplished concert pianist and organist who performed in both Russia and Europe.
“To me, somebody who was producing such beautiful things could not have done what they accuse him of. And that’s for ever how I’m going to remember him,” he said, fighting back tears. “That’s who Dima is to me and the rest of the family.”
(Reporting by ReutersEditing by Alexandra Hudson)
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