Israeli historian Artyom Kirpichenok faces espionage charges after being arrested by the Shin Bet for actions threatening national security.
The State Prosecutor's Office publicized an indictment against Artyom Kirpichenok, an Israeli citizen and Russian-Israeli historian, for actions threatening national security on behalf of a foreign government. Artyom Kirpichenok was arrested by the Israel Police and the Shin Bet for suspected espionage.
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While the State Prosecutor's Office confirmed the indictment, the Shin Bet declined to provide further details beyond the official prosecution papers. Artyom Kirpichenok immigrated to Israel in the 1990s and lived there for nearly 15 years before moving to Russia in 2005. He is suspected of maintaining contact with a foreign intelligence agent. Sources connected to Artyom Kirpichenok's family stated that the espionage charges are unfounded, arguing that Russia is not an enemy state to Israel. They noted that the two countries maintain intelligence cooperation. The family source acknowledged the seriousness of the charges but stated they could only speculate on the exact nature of the accusations. Reports suggest the alleged charges may be related to Artyom Kirpichenok's 2018 visit to Iran, during which he posted about the trip on social media.
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