Netherlands court jails ‘chip spy’ Russian for three years

THE HAGUE – A Dutch court on July 10 sentenced a Russian former employee of tech giant ASML to three years behind bars for passing sensitive microchip technology to Moscow in breach of Western sanctions.

In a high-security courtroom in Rotterdam, the judge convicted the 43-year-old, identified as German A, for breaking the sanctions law and embezzling trade secrets.

“Giving advice to and sharing technology with Russia is extremely serious,” the court said in its judgment.

“It can contribute to strengthening the military and strategic capabilities of that country, with consequences for Ukraine and indirect consequences for international security and stability,” added the court.

The public prosecution service had called for a four-year sentence against the Russian, saying he had “consciously contributed” to Moscow’s war effort against Ukraine.

“By sharing classified information with Russia, the suspect contributed to maintaining or developing the Russian war machine, potentially endangering human lives,” prosecutors said.

“He also grossly violated the trust his employers placed in him by stealing trade secrets from them and sharing them with third parties,” added the prosecution.

The court decided on a lower sentence than demanded by the prosecutors as it could not prove he had received money for the information.

German A, who also worked for semiconductor manufacturer NXP, admitted to having technical documents in his home but claimed they were for his own personal use.

ASML makes cutting-edge machines that manufacture semiconductors, powering everything from smartphones to cars.

“The fact that the files contain outdated information is irrelevant, as this information can be of great value to a country with a (much) lower level of knowledge,” said the court. AFP