Three Bulgarian citizens found guilty of spying for Russia in the UK

Three Bulgarian citizens accused of spying for Russia have been found guilty of espionage during a trial in the United Kingdom. This was reported by The Guardian.

After more than 32 hours of deliberations, the jury at the Old Bailey reached a unanimous verdict against 33-year-old laboratory assistant Katrin Ivanova, 30-year-old cosmetologist Vanya Gaberova, and 39-year-old artist and decorator Tihomir Ivanchev, who lived in London before their arrest.

All three were found guilty of conspiring, contrary to Section 1 of the Criminal Law Act 1977, to commit an offense under Section 1 of the Official Secrets Act 1911. This carries a maximum penalty of up to 14 years in prison.

Of the three defendants, only Ivanchev was present at the trial. The two women were present via video link.

Ivanova was also found guilty of keeping forged passports in her apartment.

In total, six Bulgarian citizens were suspected in the UK of spying for Russia.

The suspects were accused of conspiring with Austrian citizen Jan Marsalek, who was not charged in the case, and “other unknowns.”

Marsalek was put on the wanted list in Germany on suspicion of fraud. He is believed to have fled from Vienna to Belarus by private plane and is now in Russia, under Russian protection.

According to the documents, between August 30, 2020, and February 8, 2023, Marsalek “conspired to collect information directly or indirectly useful to the enemy and thus harmful to the interests and security of the state.” The crimes were also alleged to have taken place outside of England and Wales.