Estonian news outlet ERR has reported that Russian national Vyacheslav Morozov, a professor at the University of Tartu, was detained on January 3rd, 2023, and dismissed from his post.
He is held under the suspicion of espionage. Morozov’s arrest and suspicion of espionage was first made public by Kristiina Tõnnisson, head of Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies of UT, in an email:
I am writing primarily to those who have come into contact with the professor of international political theory Vyacheslav Morozov at the University of Tartu. I would like to inform you that the Defense Police Board has informed the university that they have initiated an investigation against him and that he has been suspected of activities against the Republic of Estonia. His employment with the University of Tartu has ended, ” announced in an e-mail sent to the institute’s alumni.
ERR then confirmed with the State Security Police (KaPo) and the State Prosecutor’s Office that he was detained on January 3rd, 2023 after being deemed a travel risk. He is being held at Tallinn Prison. The Harju County Judge issued the warrant as a slew of espionage cases have been initiated in the last three years of Russians attempting to penetrate the Estonian academic sphere.
According to the Estonian scientific information system ETIS, Morozov worked at St. Petersburg State University until 2010. From 2016 to 2023, he was the Professor of European Union and Russian Studies at TU, and from September 1, 2023 to January 11, 2024, Professor of International Political Theory.
