Former University of Tartu professor Morozov's stay in custody extended to July
Former University of Tartu professor Viacheslav Morozov, who has been held on suspicion of conducting intelligence activities against the Republic of Estonia since January 3, is to remain in custody for two additional months.
At the request of the State Prosecutor's Office and with the permission of the court, Morozov's detention has been extended for a further two months, until the beginning of July, ERR's Russian-language portal reported on Tuesday.
The investigation into the criminal case against Morozov is currently ongoing.
On January 3, the Estonian Internal Security Service (ISS) detained Viacheslav Morozov, a Russian citizen, on suspicion of conducting and supporting intelligence activities against the Republic of Estonia.
Precise details of the suspicions against Morozov have not yet been disclosed to the public by either the ISS or the State Prosecutor's Office, due to the interests of the investigation.
However, Estonian State Prosecutor Triinu Olev has previously said that there was reason to believe Morozov may have sought to evade prosecution or continue committing offences if allowed to remain at large.
According to the Estonian Research Information System (ETIS) database, Viacheslav Morozov was affiliated with St. Petersburg State University until 2010, before taking up a position at the University of Tartu.
Morozov was professor of European Union and Russian Studies at the University of Tartu from 2016 to 2023 and professor of international political theory from September 1, 2023 to January 11, 2024, when he submitted his resignation.
ISS director: Morozov regularly visited Russia
Director General of the ISS Margo Pallosson previously told ERR that Morozov had shared information with Russian intelligence services. According to Pallosson, meetings with handlers took place in Russia where Morozov traveled with "a measure of regularity."
Palloson added that people should seriously consider the need to travel to Russia, as there is a real risk of being pressurized by Russian intelligence services.
What kind of information Morozov had access to and what he forwarded to Russian intelligence services will be determined in the course of proceedings, Palloson said.
Neither the ISS nor the prosecution were willing to say whether the information Morozov shared included personal details of Estonian citizens. The Prosecutor's Office said the intelligence activity Morozov is suspected of took place over a period of several years.
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Editor: Sergei Mihhailov, Michael Cole
