Colleagues of the arrested physicist Maslov wrote an open letter to the Presidential Administration

“The persecution of scientists involved in aviation science is systemic in the country”

An open letter in support of Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Anatoly Maslov, who was arrested on suspicion of treason, was written by his colleagues. Employees of the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics. S.A. Khristianovich of the SB RAS was addressed to the Administration of the President of Russia.

Recall that the scientist was arrested in Novosibirsk on June 27, 2022 and transported by special flight to Moscow, to the Lefortovo pre-trial detention center, where 75-year-old Maslov remains to this day.

“MK” wrote in hot pursuitthat Anatoly Maslov dealt with the problems of turbulence and resistance of aircraft. At the direction of the government, he collaborated with foreign colleagues: with the American Boeing, with the Chinese, with the Germans. Representatives of the special services, which are available in every institute, like the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, vigilantly watched that no secrets leaked abroad. And here is such an incident!

His colleagues immediately announced that they would seek the release of the scientist, because they were sure that he could not be a traitor. To be heard, Academicians, Corresponding Members of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctors and Candidates of Sciences addressed their Open Letter directly to the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation and published it on institute website. At the time of writing, the letter had 485 signatures (their number is growing all the time).

The scientists wrote that Maslov is world famous for his work in the field of viscous gas dynamics and aerodynamics. The total experience of his scientific and pedagogical work is 53 years, and at ITAM SB RAS he went from a trainee researcher to a deputy director.

“All colleagues who know Anatoly Alexandrovich Maslov through joint work are shocked by his arrest,” the message says. – Over the long years of work, all his efforts were directed to the development of the institute and domestic aviation science. He devoted his life to this, and, knowing him as a patriot of Russia, no one can admit the thought that he could deliberately do something to the detriment of his country.

Further, the employees of the institute remind how important the work was done by Maslov. Many of his experiments were pioneering. At the same time, the scientist was active in social and scientific-organizational work. Many of his students subsequently grew into well-known scientists and leaders of science.

Further in the message, the scientists note that the unexpected arrest of such an outstanding scientist as Anatoly Alexandrovich Maslov negatively affects the morale of the entire scientific community, not only of their institute, but also of the country. “In recent years, scientists from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Moscow Aviation Institute, TsAGI, TsNIIMash have been persecuted,” they list. – Unfortunately, we have to admit that at present the persecution of scientists involved in aviation science is systemic in the country. This is already leading to an unprecedented outflow of young scientists from this area, as well as a decrease in the motivation to carry out scientific research.” Maslov’s colleagues also drew the attention of the country’s leadership to the fact that the continuation of such a trend cannot but contribute to a decrease in the quality of research and development, which is so necessary for import substitution in the aviation industry.

Representatives of the scientific community demanded to understand the current situation and assist in restoring justice and stopping the criminal prosecution of Anatoly Maslov.

In addition to this open letter, a second letter was also sent to the Administration of the President of the country, to the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Russian Federation, to the Investigation Department of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation and the Commissioner for Human Rights under the President of the Russian Federation – with a request to change the measure of restraint for Anatoly Alexandrovich to one unrelated to detention and to stop criminal prosecution. Maslov’s colleagues recalled that the elderly scientist has chronic diseases. In addition, his wife, a disabled person of group III, is dependent on him.