LONDON –
A Russian scientist who was arrested last week in Siberia on suspicion of treason in the state and transferred to Moscow despite suffering from advanced pancreatic cancer has died, lawyers and a relative said on Sunday.
Physicist Dmitry Kolker, 54, had been pulled from his hospital bed, where he was fed through a tube, and sent on a more than four-hour flight to Moscow, where lawyers they said he was taken to Lefortovo prison and later died at a nearby hospital.
His cousin Anton Dianov told Reuters from the United States that the accusation against the laser specialist – who had betrayed state secrets in China – was absurd.
“He was a scientist, he loved his country, he was working in his country despite many invitations from major universities and laboratories to go to 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 for such a sick man. They knew he was on his deathbed and they chose to arrest him.”
The family and lawyers said Kolker was arrested and his home was searched by the FSB security service. They said the charges of treason, which carry a sentence of up to 20 years, were based on lectures Kolker had given in China, even though the content had been approved by the FSB.
Reuters did not receive a response to a request for comments sent by email from the FSB.
Lawyer Alexander Fedulov told Reuters that he had tried to contact authorities on Kolker’s behalf, but that he had been rejected by the FSB’s investigation department and the prison.
He said he will file a legal complaint Monday for the circumstances of Kolker’s arrest.
On Saturday, the state news agency TASS said Russia had arrested a second scientist in Novosibirsk on suspicion of treason.
It was unclear whether the two cases were related.
A number of Russian scientists have been arrested and charged with treason in recent years for allegedly delivering sensitive material to foreigners. Kremlin critics say the arrests often stem from unfounded paranoia.
Dianov, the cousin, said Kolker was also a very successful concertgoer and organist who performed in both Russia and Europe.
“For me, someone who was producing such beautiful things could not have done what they accuse him of. And that will be how I will remember him forever,” he said, holding back tears.
“That’s what Dima is to me and the rest of the family.”
Edited by Alexandra Hudson