On Thursday a Dutch court sentenced a former employee of semiconductor companies ASML and NXP to three years in prison for sharing sensitive technology with a contact in Russia, in violation of European Union sanctions.
German Aksenov, 43, was found guilty of computer intrusion and illegally providing technical assistance to Russia. The Rotterdam court said he had copied files from his employers' servers, which were later found at his home, and shared information about chip production lines with an individual based in Russia.
Dutch semiconductor manufacturer NXP said it had cooperated with prosecutors. ASML, the world's leading chip manufacturing equipment company, declined to comment, citing ongoing legal proceedings.
Aksenov, who can still appeal the decision within 14 days, was arrested in August 2023 and has been in custody since then. The prosecutor's office initially accused him of selling design manuals and contacting the Russian intelligence services, the FSB.
The defendant denies the charges, insisting that he is not a spy and claiming that he kept certain confidential documents to maintain his professional skills. "I had ASML files for my personal use... Could these files have gone to Russia? I didn't ask myself that question," he said at a previous hearing.
The court emphasized that Aksenov had violated European sanctions in place since 2014, which prohibit the provision of "technical assistance" and the transfer of technology to Russian entities. These measures are intended to limit Russia's access to technologies that could strengthen its military potential.
According to prosecution, Aksenov saved the data on USB sticks and hard drives, with the intention of physically handing them over to FSB contacts in Moscow. In the absence of evidence that he received any payment, the court reduced the sentence from four to three years. It was also not possible to determine the exact date on which the files were stolen.
