Three Bulgarian citizens have been detained while they were taking pictures of a Greek military facility near the border town of Orestiada and have been sentenced to 15 months in prison for espionage, according to the Bulgarian Consul in Athens, Vasil Mitrovski.

Two of the three Bulgarians are military servicemen.

Mitrovski explained that the Bulgaria Military AttachГ© to Greece had been asked to come to the Greek Defense Ministry Thursday and has been informed about the case.

Tsvetomira Zhekova, media advisor for the Bulgarian Defense Minister Nikolay Tsonev stated before Darik that she was expecting a quick resolution of the case. According to her, the two Bulgarian servicemen were a private and a sergeant, who have not been taking pictures for a military magazine as previously reported, but have been in Greece on vacation, as tourists.

Zhekova explained that according to the Bulgarian legislature they are civilians and are under the authority of the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry. The Defense Ministry had sent a letter to the Foreign Ministry, asking them to undertake urgent measures regarding the case and its clarification.

According to Zhekova, the three Bulgarians have, most likely, been taking pictures of tourist sites without knowing exactly what they were filming.

"There is no tension between the Bulgarian and the Greek Foreign Ministries. We are partners," Zhekova concluded.

The Bulgarian Consul in Athens explained that there has been no reaction on the part of the Greek Foreign Ministry yet. The three Bulgarians remain in Orestiada and are prohibited from leaving Greece. They have been sentenced to 15 months in jail under the quick trial procedure, and the sentence can be redeemed.

The families of the three men have been notified about the case.

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