Two Oxford graduates are facing jail sentences after being charged with industrial espionage by Russian security services.{nomultithumb}
Alexander Zaslavsky, 33, and IIya Zaslavsky, 29, were charged on March 20 after allegedly attempting to obtain classified information from a Russian employee of a “national hydrocarbon institution.”
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), whose predecessor was the KGB, said the accused “were illegally collecting classified commercial information for a number of foreign oil and gas companies to gain advantages over Russian competitors.”
The case is connected to an investigation by the Russian Government into the Russian-British oil firm TNK-BP, whose premises were raided on March 19. FSB said, “The search produced material evidence of industrial espionage . . . and business cards of representatives of foreign defence departments and the Central Intelligence Agency”.
If found guilty of industrial espionage, the Oxford-educated brothers face up to three years in jail. However, because the charges involve strategic natural resources, which may be classed as state secrets, the men could be charged with espionage and face a longer jail sentence of up to 20 years.
Both men have been released on bail on orders not to leave Russia.
Alexander Zaslavsky, who works as an independent energy consultant, studied at University College, before moving on to both Nuffield and Magdalen.
A friend of Alexander Zaslavsky’s who also attended Oxford, told The Moscow Times that: “Sasha was a brilliant student. For his degree [in PPE] he got one of the best grades in the University.”
Ilya Zaslavsky, a manager in TNK-BP’s international affairs office, completed his undergraduate degree at Worcester before also studying at University College.
Jane Vicat, a secretary at the College, said “[IIya’s] tutors are aware of what has happened, are concerned about it and are following the matter closely.”
The tutors declined to comment on the matter.
A friend described IIya as “a bright, young guy,” The Moscow Times reported. IIya refers to himself on Facebook as the “First Oil Poet of the Russian Federation.”
The FSB had claimed that the brothers were members of the British Council, which was forced out of Moscow earlier this year. However, a spokesperson for the Council stressed that neither brother was a member, or ever has been.
Alexander Zaslavsky is, however, the head of the British Council’s British Alumni Club (BAC.)
The club was set up in 1998 as a networking forum for Russian professionals who have been educated in the UK. The groups maintain about 1,800 members across Russia. It has faced a campaign of intimidation by Kremlin-backed youth groups.
A British Council spokesperson added that, “The members of the British Alumni Club are valued contacts of the British Council and so we are obviously concerned by these reports.”
Alexander and IIya both won British Council grants to study at Wellington College and at Oxford University.
Russian government officials have opposed scholarships awarded to Russian students for study in Britain. They have said that they believe the grants are part of an MI6 recruitment strategy.
IIya has been critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin. He is a member of a Facebook group which lambasts Mr Putin whilst last year he heavily criticised the outgoing president on a radio programme.
Several individuals have already been detained for insulting the President as part of an apparent clampdown on freedom of speech.
Investors also fear that the raid on TNK-BP suggests the Kremlin is plotting to seize one of the few remaining sizeable oil and gas assets not currently under state control. TNK-BP is a 50-50 British-Russian venture, and sits uncomfortably with the current majority state control of the Russian energy business.
“TNK-BP is a commercial organization engaged in normal legitimate commercial activity,” TNK-BP said in a statement.
“We are a Russian company and we work successfully on a fair commercial basis with many other Russian companies, both state and privately owned,” it continued.
“We do not condone illegal activity nor do we rely on unfair competitive practices.”
The arrests threaten to further damage Anglo-Russian relations. Hostility between London and Moscow has been evident since the latter refused to extradite Andrei Lugovoi following the death of Alexander Litvinenko by radioactive poisoning in November 2006. London has similarly refused to extradite Boris Berezovsky, whilst both countries expelled embassy officials last summer.
