The Bulgarian Presidency has dismissed claims made by Bulgarian citizens under investigation for espionage in the UK, who reportedly boasted of connections with the "highest echelons" of power in Bulgaria. The press office of President Rumen Radev called these claims "absurd" and emphasized that they were not based on any factual evidence. The statement was issued in response to media inquiries about remarks made by the accused during their court appearances, as reported in the Independent newspaper.

The Bulgarian security services, who are cooperating with British authorities on the case, had previously addressed similar allegations. A month ago, in response to media questions and a query from a member of parliament, the Bulgarian services confirmed that they had no information supporting the claims of links between those under investigation and political figures in Bulgaria.

The accused, including Katrin Ivanova, Vanya Gaberova, and Tihomir Ivanchev, are part of a group implicated in a spy network allegedly led by Russian agent Jan Marsalek. The group is accused of planning several operations from the UK, which included espionage against journalists and organizing a fake protest outside the Kazakh embassy in London. Ivanova, Gaberova, and Ivanchev are said to have acted under the guidance of Orlin Rusev, who in turn received instructions from Marsalek, a former high-ranking Wirecard executive.

The Presidency reaffirmed that no evidence links the detained Bulgarians to the country's political leadership, reiterating that the accusations are unfounded. Additionally, the press office stressed that Bulgaria's security services are diligently working alongside their British counterparts to resolve the case.