Ilya Sachkov, cofounder of Group-IB, sentenced to fourteen years

On July 26, 2023, a Moscow court sentenced Ilya Sachkov, cofounder of cybersecurity firm Group-IB, to 14 years in prison for “high treason”. He stood accused of passing on “classified information” to foreign intelligence agencies, particularly American ones. Among other things, the info pertains to the Russian State-sponsored cybercriminal collective, Fancy Bear, as well as interference in the 2016 US presidential election.

Ilya Sachkov was arrested in 2021 and held without bail. In June 2023, on his Telegram channel, he accused a senior FSB officer of being behind his arrest. He added a cryptic statement, claiming that if he were found guilty, “it would be one the most successful operations ever carried out by US intelligence and a new blow to the Russian cyber sector.”

Having always denied the accusations, Ilya Sachkov appealed the decision. The cybersecurity firm he founded, Group-IB, gradually distanced itself from the Kremlin to maintain its reputation abroad. After moving its headquarters to Singapore, the company left the Russian market following the Ukraine invasion. In April 2023, Group-IB finished transferring its Russian activity to its local management, and continues to operate under the new brand, “F.A.C.C.T.”.

Shortly after the verdict was handed down, Group-IB described the trial, which took place entirely behind closed doors, as “unreasonably rushed.” The press release explains that Group-IB employees “firmly believed in Ilya’s innocence,” while regretting that the “reasons behind his conviction” would “perhaps” remain forever unknown.