Scientists decry ‘spy’ verdict for Russian physicist
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Bryon MacWilliams, Moscow A Russian physicist has been sentenced to 14 years in prison after a retrial found him guilty of passing classified information to China. The verdict has been derided by scientists and human-rights observers. Valentin Danilov admitted selling aerospace technology to a Chinese company in 1999, when he was head of the Institute of Thermodynamics at Krasnoyarsk State Technical University in Siberia. In 2001, he was arrested by the Federal Security Service (FSB), who said his device to measure the effects of electromagnetic waves on satellites could help China to develop weapons that might threaten Russia. But Danilov, with the public backing of prominent members of the Russian Academy of Sciences, countered that the technology was declassified in 1992 and that details of it had, in fact, been published in scientific journals. At least one of these publications is still openly available today. The FSB has accused several scientists and environmentalists of espionage in recent years — something that human- rights groups refer to as “spy mania”. But last year, in a startling setback for the agency, a jury sided with Danilov and acquitted him of all charges. Prosecutors successfully appealed the verdict on procedural grounds and won a second trial. During this one, jurors were permitted to decide only whether Danilov had provided the information, and not whether it constituted spying. That decision was left to Judge Andrei Afanasyev of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court, who ruled that the data were indeed secret. The 24 November verdict was questioned by Eduard Kruglyakov, deputy head of the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics in Novosibirsk, who said that the judge had refused to consider written testimony from Russian physicists in relevant subdisciplines. Afanasyev also found Danilov guilty of embezzling 466,000 rubles ($16,500) — the first payment by the Chinese company. During the retrial he unexpectedly jailed Danilov, who had been free, after prosecutors accused the physicist of “criminal activity” for giving an interview to a US newspaper, the Los Angeles Times. Danilov’s lawyer, Yelena Yevmenova, says she will appeal the sentence in the Russian Supreme Court, as well as the European Court of Human Rights. ■ Declan Butler,Paris The multibillion-dollar ITER fusion reactor was always intended to be an international collabora- tion, and was billed as a model for ‘big science’projects.But this week, the model looks in deep trouble. On 26 November, the Euro- pean Union (EU) broke ranks with the site selection process, and announced that if agreement isn’t reached quickly, it will go it alone to build the reactor in Europe. ITER aims to prove the princi- ple of generating energy from fusion, by confining a ring of plasma with a magnetic field in a doughnut-shaped vessel and heating it to several million degrees kelvin. But the six-strong collaboration has split over the siting of the facility: China and Rus- sia back the EU’s site in Cadarache, France, whereas the United States and South Korea favour Japan’s rival site at Rokkasho. At a meeting in Brussels, research and industry ministers from the EU’s 25 member states followed through on a threat that they first aired in September. They authorized the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, to abandon the multilateral site selec- tion process if necessary and build ITER in France, with as many outside partners as it can muster. EU ministers insist that this option will be a last resort. The Japanese government has yet to respond, but fusion officials there reacted angrily. Satoru Ohtake, director of fusion energy at Japan’s science ministry, says the EU move jeopardizes not just ITER but also the ground rules needed for future international collaborations. “By pursuing their own desires, they will be the ones that break international trust,”says Ohtake.“This is divisive;it is not acceptable to us.” Commission officials counter that the stalled talks needed shock therapy and that the situation was “in complete deadlock”. Political realities make site selection the inevitable crux of any international collabo- ration, adds one official, and “unless your project is in space, you will have always this problem of choosing the site”. Europe’s most recent offer to Japan, in return for agreeing to the Cadarache site, includes a fusion package that would com- pensate the country and include support for a major upgrade to its JT60 fusion reactor. Ohtake claims that Japan has offered Europe similar concessions. Neither offer prevailed, however, at the latest meeting of negotiators on 9 November in Vienna (see Nature 432, 262; 2004). Japan’s position is that both parties should tem- porarily put aside the siting issue, says Ohtake, and discuss the “role of host and non-host parties”. Europe’s brinkmanship seems partly based on the reckoning that only one ITER will ever be built, and if it can force the deadlock with firm support for a French site, then Japan and the United States will eventually join the only show in town. This scenario is credible, says Stephen Dean, head of Fusion Power Associates, a Washington- based fusion advocacy group.“I think the EU could get together a package that would work,”he says. France has already offered to double its support for ITER to $1.12 billion, or 20% of the total bill, and the rest of Europe has com- mitted another 40%. Even if Japan and the United States pulled out, Europe could con- ceivably make up the shortfall from Russia, China and other partners. But some European fusion scientists fear that the EU has overplayed its hand — and underestimated Japanese determination to host ITER. “The European Commission badly misread Japan’s negotiating positions; it has been convinced that Japan would budge,” says one European scientist close to the negotiations. The big unknown, he says, is whether Japan will call Europe’s bluff, and announce that it, too, intends to go it alone. ■ Additional reporting by Geoff Brumfiel in Washington. news 538 NATURE | VOL 432 | 2 DECEMBER 2004 | www.nature.com/nature Europe breaks ranks over fusion project site Scientists decry ‘spy’ verdict for Russian physicist Site fight: Europe is holding out to build ITER at Cadarache in France. ITER ©2004 Nature Publishing Group
Transcript of Scientists decry ‘spy’ verdict for Russian physicist
Bryon MacWilliams,MoscowA Russian physicist has been sentenced to 14 years in prison after a retrial found himguilty of passing classified information toChina. The verdict has been derided byscientists and human-rights observers.
Valentin Danilov admitted sellingaerospace technology to a Chinese companyin 1999, when he was head of the Institute of Thermodynamics at Krasnoyarsk StateTechnical University in Siberia.
In 2001, he was arrested by the FederalSecurity Service (FSB), who said his device tomeasure the effects of electromagnetic waveson satellites could help China to developweapons that might threaten Russia.
But Danilov, with the public backing of prominent members of the RussianAcademy of Sciences, countered that the
technology was declassified in 1992 and thatdetails of it had, in fact, been published inscientific journals. At least one of thesepublications is still openly available today.
The FSB has accused several scientistsand environmentalists of espionage inrecent years — something that human-rights groups refer to as “spy mania”.But last year, in a startling setback for the agency, a jury sided with Danilov and acquitted him of all charges.
Prosecutors successfully appealed theverdict on procedural grounds and won asecond trial. During this one, jurors werepermitted to decide only whether Danilovhad provided the information, and notwhether it constituted spying. That decisionwas left to Judge Andrei Afanasyev of theKrasnoyarsk Regional Court, who
ruled that the data were indeed secret.The 24 November verdict was questioned
by Eduard Kruglyakov, deputy head of theBudker Institute of Nuclear Physics inNovosibirsk, who said that the judge hadrefused to consider written testimony fromRussian physicists in relevant subdisciplines.
Afanasyev also found Danilov guilty ofembezzling 466,000 rubles ($16,500) — thefirst payment by the Chinese company.During the retrial he unexpectedly jailedDanilov, who had been free, afterprosecutors accused the physicist of“criminal activity” for giving an interview to a US newspaper, the Los Angeles Times.
Danilov’s lawyer, Yelena Yevmenova, saysshe will appeal the sentence in the RussianSupreme Court, as well as the EuropeanCourt of Human Rights. ■
Declan Butler,ParisThe multibillion-dollar ITERfusion reactor was always intendedto be an international collabora-tion, and was billed as a model for‘big science’projects.But this week,the model looks in deep trouble.
On 26 November, the Euro-pean Union (EU) broke ranks withthe site selection process, andannounced that if agreement isn’treached quickly, it will go it aloneto build the reactor in Europe.
ITER aims to prove the princi-ple of generating energy fromfusion, by confining a ring ofplasma with a magnetic field in a doughnut-shaped vessel andheating it to several million degrees kelvin.But the six-strong collaboration has splitover the siting of the facility: China and Rus-sia back the EU’s site in Cadarache, France,whereas the United States and South Koreafavour Japan’s rival site at Rokkasho.
At a meeting in Brussels, research andindustry ministers from the EU’s 25 memberstates followed through on a threat that theyfirst aired in September. They authorized theEuropean Commission, the EU’s executivearm, to abandon the multilateral site selec-tion process if necessary and build ITER inFrance, with as many outside partners as itcan muster.
EU ministers insist that this option will bea last resort. The Japanese government hasyet to respond, but fusion officials therereacted angrily. Satoru Ohtake, director offusion energy at Japan’s science ministry,says the EU move jeopardizes not just ITER
but also the ground rules needed for futureinternational collaborations. “By pursuingtheir own desires, they will be the ones thatbreak international trust,”says Ohtake.“Thisis divisive; it is not acceptable to us.”
Commission officials counter that thestalled talks needed shock therapy and thatthe situation was “in complete deadlock”.Political realities make site selection theinevitable crux of any international collabo-ration, adds one official, and “unless yourproject is in space, you will have always thisproblem of choosing the site”.
Europe’s most recent offer to Japan, inreturn for agreeing to the Cadarache site,includes a fusion package that would com-pensate the country and include support fora major upgrade to its JT60 fusion reactor.Ohtake claims that Japan has offered Europesimilar concessions.
Neither offer prevailed, however, at the
latest meeting of negotiators on9 November in Vienna (see Nature432, 262; 2004). Japan’s position is that both parties should tem-porarily put aside the siting issue,says Ohtake, and discuss the “roleof host and non-host parties”.
Europe’s brinkmanship seemspartly based on the reckoning thatonly one ITER will ever be built,and if it can force the deadlockwith firm support for a Frenchsite, then Japan and the UnitedStates will eventually join the onlyshow in town.
This scenario is credible, saysStephen Dean, head of FusionPower Associates, a Washington-
based fusion advocacy group.“I think the EUcould get together a package that wouldwork,”he says.
France has already offered to double itssupport for ITER to $1.12 billion, or 20% ofthe total bill, and the rest of Europe has com-mitted another 40%. Even if Japan and theUnited States pulled out, Europe could con-ceivably make up the shortfall from Russia,China and other partners.
But some European fusion scientists fearthat the EU has overplayed its hand — andunderestimated Japanese determination tohost ITER. “The European Commissionbadly misread Japan’s negotiating positions;it has been convinced that Japan wouldbudge,” says one European scientist close tothe negotiations.The big unknown,he says, iswhether Japan will call Europe’s bluff, andannounce that it, too, intends to go it alone. ■
Additional reporting by Geoff Brumfiel in Washington.
news
538 NATURE | VOL 432 | 2 DECEMBER 2004 | www.nature.com/nature
Europe breaks ranks over fusion project site
Scientists decry ‘spy’ verdict for Russian physicist
Site fight: Europe is holding out to build ITER at Cadarache in France.
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