He was convicted of espionage in favor of Ukraine. The Moscow Regional Court sentenced Sharifjon Tillozoda, a native of Tajikistan, to 14 years in a strict regime colony. The court session was held behind closed doors. Details of the case are unknown. The convicted individual or his lawyer and relatives did not comment on the […]
He was convicted of espionage in favor of Ukraine.
The Moscow Regional Court sentenced Sharifjon Tillozoda, a native of Tajikistan, to 14 years in a strict regime colony.
The court session was held behind closed doors. Details of the case are unknown. The convicted individual or his lawyer and relatives did not comment on the verdict.
Sharifjon Tillozoda, originally from the city of Pendzhikent in the Sughd region, was detained on the closed territory of a military unit in Moscow in 2023.
It is unclear how he managed to enter the military unit’s territory. It is practically impossible for a foreign citizen to access the territory of a military unit without FSB permission.
Initially, the man was mistaken for a lost worker. However, he was later accused of “collecting information for subsequent transfer to the Ukrainian special services. He photographed military facilities and sent materials to his curators abroad.”
Later, on October 10, 2023, the Lefortovo District Court of Moscow considered a closed court session regarding the prosecution’s request for a preventive measure in the form of detention for the citizen of the Republic of Tajikistan, who was suspected of espionage (Article 276 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
At that time, the court decided to impose a preventive measure in the form of detention for a period of 2 months, until December 10, 2023, as noted in the statement.
Sharifjon Tillozoda actively posted his videos online. He also previously expressed support for Russia, appeared holding a Russian flag, praised Putin, and professed his love for him.
After Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, there has been an increase in cases of detention on espionage charges in Russia. The number of cases of treason and espionage in Russia has also significantly increased. According to data for the first half of 2024, 52 people were convicted of treason in the country, which is 3.5 times higher than the same figure for the same period in 2023.
Additionally, on espionage charges, 18 people were sentenced to imprisonment in the first six months of this year, while during the same period last year, there were only 2 such arrests.