UPDATE 2: Moscow court arrests Group-IB founder Sachkov on treason charges

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MOSCOW, Sep 29 (PRIME) -- The Lefortovo District Court of Moscow has arrested Ilya Sachkov, founder of Group-IB, specializing in the prevention and investigation of cyberattacks, for two months on treason charges, the court’s press secretary Anastasia Romanova told PRIME on Wednesday.

“Under a ruling of the Lefortovo District Court of Moscow regarding Ilya Konstantinovich Sachkov, suspected of committing a crime…(of state treason), he was arrested until November 27, 2021,” Romanova said.

If convicted, Sachkov could face a sentence of 12 to 20 years in prison.

Group-IB earlier said that law enforcers came to its headquarters in Moscow on Tuesday. “Group-IB…confirmed that on Tuesday, September 28, operational procedures took place in the Moscow headquarters of Group-IB in Russia and the CIS,” the company’s spokesperson said.

The company said the law enforcers left the office in the evening the same day. Group-IB is unaware of the reasons and works as normal.

“The top management and legal services are working on making the situation clear,” the spokesperson said.

Business ombudsman Boris Titov said that the law enforcers should explain Sachkov’s case, otherwise it will be a critical blow to the IT sector and its investment attractiveness.

There is nothing worse than this body of a crime, because such cases are considered behind closed doors, he said.

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