Three Bulgarians in London convicted of espionage on behalf of Russia

Three Bulgarian citizens accused of espionage on behalf of Russia were found guilty during a trial that examined their involvement in a series of conspiracies across Europe, led by a fugitive residing in Moscow. They face up to 14 years in prison. This was reported by The Guardian, writes UNN.

The jury delivered a unanimous verdict against 33-year-old lab technician Katrin Ivanova, 30-year-old cosmetologist Vanya Gaberova, and 39-year-old artist Tikhomir Ivanchev, who lived in London before their arrest.

They were found guilty of being members of a spy ring led by Jan Marsalek, an Austrian businessman who fled to Russia in 2020 after the company he helped manage went bankrupt due to a €1.9 billion fraud.

Marsalek oversaw hostile surveillance of investigative journalist Christo Grozev, and all three defendants participated in the operation.

The leader also ordered members of the group to steal the mobile phone numbers of Ukrainian servicemen who were undergoing training at American barracks in Stuttgart (Germany).

Marsalek communicated directly with the group's leader Orlin Rusev, who, in turn, managed the surveillance from a former guesthouse in the coastal town of Norfolk. The building was filled with electronic equipment and surveillance gear.

Rusev has already pleaded guilty to espionage, as did his deputy Bizer Dzhambazov. However, Ivanova, Gaberova, and Ivanchev denied the charges, leading to a trial that lasted nearly three months. All three were found guilty of participating in a conspiracy to commit an offense under Article 1 of the 1911 State Secrets Act. The maximum penalty for this is imprisonment for up to 14 years.

Reminder

As a reminder, in 2024, former long-time Prime Minister of Bulgaria and leader of the largest party GERB Boyko Borissov refused to support the signing of a bilateral security agreement with Ukraine after the interim Prime Minister of the country appealed to parliament to make a decision on this matter.