Svyatoslav Bobyshev

At largeChecked October 18, 2026

Svyatoslav Bobyshev, born 1953, Saint Petersburg. Charges: Article 275, Russian Criminal Code (Treason against the state); “The case of the transfer of information on the Bulava to China”. Sentence (June 18, 2012): Guilty verdict, 12 years in a strict regime penal colony. Status: at large. Recognition: Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners — recognised as a political prisoner, January 6, 2014; Memorial Human Rights Centre — recognised as a political prisoner, July 13, 2012.

In brief

Saint Petersburg · Saint Petersburg · Scientists

Sentence

12 years

Guilty verdict, 12 years in a strict regime penal colony

Verdict June 18, 2012

Upheld February 4, 2013

Charges

Article 275, Russian Criminal Code — Treason against the state

Full wording of the charges

passed classified information on the Bulava strategic missile system to China.

Latest event

September 18, 2019 — imprisonment ends

Checked October 18, 2026 · no changes since October 15

Recognition by rights defenders

Recognised as a political prisoner — Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners, January 6, 2014
Recognised as a political prisoner — Memorial Human Rights Centre, July 13, 2012

Timeline

September 18, 2019 · Imprisonment ends
September 1, 2019 · Persecution ends
January 6, 2014 · Recognised as a political prisoner
Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners
February 4, 2013 · Appeal ruling
upheld
July 13, 2012 · Recognised as a political prisoner
Memorial Human Rights Centre
June 18, 2012 · First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 12 years
March 16, 2010 · Persecution begins
The case of the transfer of information on the Bulava to China

Criminal case

The case of the transfer of information on the Bulava to China

Other defendants in the case

Evgeny Afanasiev — Deceased, 12 years 6 months

Details and sources

Full summary

According to OVD-Info

Svyatoslav Bobyshev is a professor at the Department of Launch and Technical Rocket and Spacecraft Systems of the Baltic State Technical University "Voenmeh" D.F. Ustinov in St. Petersburg. In March 2010, he was detained by the FSB on suspicion of transferring to China technical data on the Bulava intercontinental missile. The trial was held in closed court. During the arguments, the prosecutor demanded 15 years' imprisonment for Bobyshev. On 20 June 2012, he was sentenced to 12 years in a strict regime penal colony. In September 2019, the rest of the term was replaced by restriction of freedom.

All fields of the record

Citizenship: Russia

Sources (2)