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Russian physicist suspected of espionage

July 25, 2015

A Russian physicist who worked at Bonn's Max Planck Institute five years ago sent confidential research results to Moscow's secret service, according to a report in "Der Spiegel." He was briefly detained last year.

https://p.dw.com/p/1G4T0
Münsterplatz Bonn
Image: picture-alliance/dpa

According to the report in Saturday's "Der Spiegel," the 28-year old physicist referred to as Ivan A. specialized in quantum optics and nanophotonics. He worked for the Max Planck Institute (photo) in Bonn for several months between 2009 and 2011.

He is accused of transmitting confidential research results to the Russian secret service during that time.

German intelligence officials discovered Ivan A.'s activities after he was monitored meeting each month a Russian diplomat working at the consulate in Bonn. The diplomat was identified as an officer in Russia's foreign intelligence service.

Ivan A. was briefly detained and questioned last year at Düsseldorf airport. At the time he was working at the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands.

In a separate case, German authorities arrested a Russian couple on spying charges in October 2011. Police had discovered the woman listening to encrypted messages on a transmitter.

She was released in November 2014 and returned to Russia. Her husband was deported in early June.

jm/cmk (AFP, Der Spiegel)