Under a gag order in Israel but making headlines in Moscow: As prosecutors filed charges today against an Israeli citizen for operating on behalf of a foreign intelligence service whose identity remains classified, Russian media report the suspect is historian Artyom Kirpichonok, who was reported “missing” since landing at Ben Gurion Airport in early August. Kirpichonok had moved to Russia in recent years and was known for his extreme anti-Israeli positions.
The name of Artyom Kirpichonok, the historian and writer reported missing in Russia early last month after landing in Israel, was linked today (Friday) in foreign reports to the serious security case whose details were partially cleared for publication. Russian and international media reported that the indictment filed today against an Israeli citizen for operating on behalf of foreign intelligence refers to Kirpichonok, who landed in Israel on August 2 and has been out of contact since.
According to reports on the Meduza website and other Russian media outlets, Kirpichonok was arrested in early August immediately upon landing at the airport by Shin Bet investigators on suspicion of maintaining ties with a foreign agent and espionage offenses. The case sparked an uproar in Moscow early this month, when his friends and human rights activists published calls for help locating him and even claimed that the Russian embassy in Israel contacted authorities in an attempt to clarify the circumstances of his mysterious disappearance at Ben Gurion.
Kirpichonok, 51, is a dual Russian-Israeli citizen who lived in Israel for about 15 years, served in the IDF and studied at Hebrew University, but returned to Russia in recent years and was known for his sharp anti-Israeli positions published on social media. According to overseas reports, since arriving in Israel he has been held in detention without contact with the outside world, until the indictment was filed today by the Central District Attorney’s Office.