Another Russian Diplomat in Bulgaria Accused of Espionage

Politics » DIPLOMACY | December 18, 2020, Friday // 16:15
Bulgaria: Another Russian Diplomat in Bulgaria Accused of Espionage pexels.com

Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev informed Minister of Foreign Affairs Ekaterina Zaharieva of intelligence-gathering activities by a Russian diplomat on the territory of Bulgaria. The prosecutor's office had evidence to prove it, the public prosecutor's office said.

After the signal of the State Agency  for National Security the Specialized Prosecutor's Office started pre-trial proceedings on charges of a crime against the Republic of Bulgaria. A foreign national has collected information that is state secret for the purpose of providing it to a foreign state or foreign organization. This is a crime under Art. 104, para. 1 of the Penal Code.

The indictment relates to the period from 2017 to the present day. A citizen of the Russian Federation has carried out intelligence activities in which military information has been collected, including the number of US military personnel deployed on the territory of Bulgaria. The purpose was to have the information, which is state and official secrecy, be passed on to Russian military intelligence in Moscow.

For the realization of his illegal activity, the Russian citizen had contacts with a Bulgarian citizen who had access to the relevant classified information. He was promised and provided financial gain, the public prosecutor said.

Since the person is a diplomat, pursuant to Article 31 item 1 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, the criminal proceedings against the foreign national are suspended on the basis of Art. 25 para. 1 item of the Penal Procedure Code - "the doer is a person with immunity".

We remind that on September 23, Bulgaria expelled two Russian diplomats accused of espionage. At the time, Russia promised to use its right for reciprocal action.

 

 


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Tags: Russian diplomat, Bulgaria, espionage

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