Like all "treason" cases, this case was heard in a closed session. The case was based on accusations that Veryanov was launching flying "decoys" that triggered air defense systems deployed near Moscow. The sentence was passed on May 23, but was not previously known, reported the "BBC Russian Service"*. In addition to "treason," he was also charged with "organizing the activities of a terrorist organization"—allegedly due to connections with the Legion "Freedom of Russia"**.
Andrey Veryanov worked for over 20 years in Peru, studying the ancient Sacsayhuaman complex in the Inca city of Cusco. He led a team of ground-penetrating radar research in an attempt to find out what caused the fortress to collapse. He returned to the country in 2019 to care for a close relative, and then, according to him, got stuck due to the pandemic and the war.
Veryanov was detained on December 5, 2023, in Moscow on charges of "treason."
In March 2024, the FSB released a press statement about the detention in Moscow of a citizen suspected of contacts with "representatives of Ukrainian special services and one of the nationalist paramilitary terrorist organizations." According to the FSB, after initial assignments, which included anti-war propaganda, the detainee engaged in countering Russian air defense—"assembling and launching unmanned aerial vehicles to create false targets in close proximity to Russian Ministry of Defense facilities."
Human rights activists suggest that the reason for his detention could have been "one of the protests against the invasion of Ukraine." "Since I have been in Russia, I could not accept the nightmare into which the country has plunged. I participated in protests and rallies as much as I could. When the war began, I tried to resist, looking for like-minded people," wrote Veryanov from the detention center.
* Recognized as a "foreign agent" in Russia.
** Recognized as a "terrorist organization" in Russia.