Andrei Rostovtsev: “the Offensive of security forces in science takes place on a broad front”

“The logic of events is very reminiscent of the beginning of the persecution of the scientist Olga Zelenin and, in General, the so-called “Poppy case” – writes in Facebook doctor of physical and mathematical Sciences and co-founder of the project “Discerned” Andrei Rostovtsev, commenting on the news about the searches at the Director of the Physical Institute named Lebedev (FIAN) Russian Academy of Sciences Nikolai Kolachevsky, who is suspected of smuggling of optical elements.

“There are some “experts-specialists” providing security forces the conclusion on the basis of which a legitimate area of activity suddenly outlawed. Whether the turnover of food poppy or high-tech manufacturing of scientific instruments.

By this logic, any scientific collaboration with Western laboratories can be declared criminal. Modern physics (and only physics) is inextricably linked to precision instruments, including optical. As practice shows, the law enforcement agencies is not difficult to find “expert” who agrees to sign the appropriate conclusions. On the basis of these findings retroactively voided all previously obtained in the state structures of resolution and the fact that yesterday was entirely legal, overnight in someone’s interests is declared criminal.

After the collapsed “Poppy case”, it became clear that it had ordered and it was attended by the commercial interest of individuals associated with the power structure (at that time the Federal drug control service). It is highly likely that the true cause of the case against the physics Institute also has a custom character. But we’ll find out soon.

The offensive of security forces in science takes place on a broad front. It is the case of Viktor Kudryavtsev (lesson: do not communicate with foreign colleagues via e-mail), and the new Ministry of education (moral: do not communicate with foreign scientists), now the LPI and high-precision instruments (moral: don’t invent and not produce anything high tech – the enemy does not sleep). It is obvious that in such a situation the National project “Science” boils down to sawing allocated to it more than 300 billion rubles”.

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