Accused's sharing of data with Russia violates EU sanctions
NXP cooperated with prosecutors, ASML declined to comment
Sentence cut to three years due to lack of payment evidence
Updates throughout, adds that ASML declined to comment in paragraph 4
By Nathan Vifflin
ROTTERDAM, July 10 (Reuters) - A Dutch court on Thursday sentenced a former employee of semiconductor firms ASML ASML.AS and NXP NXPI.O to three years in prison for sharing sensitive company technology with a contact in Russia, in violation of European Union sanctions.The Rotterdam court convicted German Aksenov, 43, of computer intrusion and illegally providing technical assistance to Russia.
Dutch semiconductor firm NXP told Reuters it had cooperated with prosecutors. ASML, the world's top chipmaking equipment supplier, declined to comment, citing ongoing litigation.
Aksenov can appeal the ruling within the next 14 days.
Aksenov was arrested in August 2023 and has remained in custody since. Prosecutors initially accused him of selling design manuals and contacting Russia's FSB intelligence service.
He has denied the allegations, including that he was a spy, maintaining that he has kept confidential documents in his possession to maintain his professional knowledge.
Aksenov copied files from the servers of his employers ASML and NXP, which were found at his home, the court said, and shared information about chip production lines with an individual in Russia.
It said Aksenov had violated the EU's 2014 sanctions against Russia, forbidding providing "technical assistance" and transferring technologies to Russian entities.
The sanctions aim to restrict Russia's access to technology that could aid its military during conflicts, the court said.
The prosecution alleged he had saved information on USB sticks and his hard drive, which he would have physically handed over in Moscow to contacts of the FSB.
The court cut Aksenov's sentence to three years, citing lack of payment evidence, instead of the four years prosecutors had demanded.
It could not determine the exact timing of the file theft.
When questioned in an earlier court hearing, Aksenov said: "I had files from ASML for my own use. ... Whether those files were allowed to go to Russia? I did not ask myself that."
(Reporting by Nathan Vifflin in Rotterdam; Editing by Matt Scuffham and Bernadette Baum)
((nathan.vifflin@thomsonreuters.com; +48 58 769 67 13;))