Dutch Court Imposes 3-Year Sentence on Russian Engineer for Breaching EU Sanctions with Semiconductor Technology Transfer

A Dutch court has sentenced a Russian citizen to three years in prison for breaching EU sanctions by supplying sensitive semiconductor technology to Russian intelligence.

German Aksenov, 43, was employed as an engineer in the Dutch semiconductor sector from 2015 to 2024, working for notable companies such as ASML, a prominent manufacturer of microchip equipment, and NXP Semiconductors, a supplier of semiconductor components.

Prosecutors asserted that Aksenov transferred files containing technical specifications for microchip production from the servers of ASML and NXP to a USB drive and external hard drive, which he intended to deliver to an agent of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) in Moscow, as reported by Bloomberg.

The court stated that the data he transmitted «could enhance [Russia’s] military and strategic capabilities, affecting Ukraine and, by extension, 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 offering technical assistance to Russia and transferring technologies that could be utilized in armaments production.

The court imposed a slightly reduced sentence compared to the four years sought by the prosecutors, citing insufficient evidence that Aksenov received any financial gain from his actions.

Aksenov pleaded not guilty, asserting in court that he had kept the files for legitimate professional purposes.