Scientist died after being pulled from hospital bed on suspicion of espionage

A famous Russian scientist with terminal cancer was taken out of the hospital bed on suspicion of spying. His family said on Sunday that he died two days later.

Dmitry Kolker, 54, died on Saturday at a hospital in Moscow.

He had been transferred from a prison in the capital to a hospital, according to a message from authorities released by his son Maxim Colker on the social network VKontakte.

Two days ago, a court in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk said Colker had been arrested and detained for two months. ..

The court has "national rebellion" and "spy acts" against the "foreign state", a crime he will be punished in prison for 20 years. He said he was accused.

His family stated that despite his health, he was arrested by FSB guards at a Novosibirsk clinic where he was being treated for end-stage cancer and then transferred to Moscow. I am.

"FSB killed my father. They knew what he was doing, but took him out of the hospital," Maxim Colker wrote to VKontakte on Sunday. rice field.

"Thanks to my country !!! His family didn't even have permission to say goodbye to him," he added.

His cousin Anton Dianovtold Reutersin the United States that his allegations against Colker were "ridiculous."

"He was a scientist, loved his country, and worked in his own country despite many invitations from prestigious universities and laboratories to work abroad. I wanted to work in Russia, where I wanted to teach my students. "He said. "These accusations are absolutely ridiculous, very cruel, and rarely imposed on such a sick person. They know he is on his deathbed and arrest him. According to the website of Novosibirsk State University, Corker, a laser expert, led the laboratory of "Quantum and Optical Technology". According to his son, he was suspected of spying after attending an international conference in China.

During this meeting, he stated that an FSB agent was permanently accompanied to prevent the provision of confidential information.

In Russia, scientists are regularly accused and convicted of spying.

Dianovtold Reutersthat Colker was also a very skilled concert pianist and organist.

"For me, someone who was producing such a beautiful thing wouldn't have been able to blame him, and that's the way I remember him." He said.