Dutch Court Sentences Russian National to Three Years for Sharing Microchip Technology
A Dutch court has sentenced a Russian national to three years in prison for violating EU sanctions by transferring sensitive semiconductor technology to Russian intelligence.
German Aksenov, 43, worked as an engineer in the Netherlands’ semiconductor industry from 2015 to 2024, holding positions at ASML, a leading microchip equipment manufacturer, and NXP Semiconductors, a supplier of semiconductor components.
Prosecutors indicated that Aksenov had downloaded files containing technical specifications for microchip production from ASML and NXP servers onto a USB drive and an external hard drive, which he planned to hand over to an agent of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) in Moscow, as reported by Bloomberg.
The court highlighted that the information he transferred “can contribute to strengthening [Russia’s] military and strategic capabilities, which has implications for Ukraine and, indirectly, for international security and stability.”
The EU sanctions, initially imposed in 2014 following Russia’s annexation of Crimea and expanded in 2022 after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, prohibit the provision of technical assistance to Russia and the transfer of technologies that could be used in weapons manufacturing.
The court’s sentence was somewhat lighter than the four years requested by prosecutors, reportedly due to a lack of evidence that Aksenov received financial gain for his actions.
Aksenov maintained his innocence, claiming to the court that he retained the files for professional reasons.
