Two of the three Bulgarians arrested for spying for Russia – Biser Djambazov and Katrin Ivanova – were members of polling stations in elections held on the island and probably have connections with the pro-Russian party “Vazrazhdane“, writes the British newspaper “Telegraph”.
The publication refers to sources from Sofia. On August 15, it became clear that three Bulgarians were arrested in February in Britain on charges of espionage for Russia as part of a large-scale investigation into a breach in the kingdom’s national security. Orlin Rusev, Biser Jambazov and Katrin Ivanov were initially detained on suspicion of offenses under the Official Secrets Act, but were subsequently charged only with possession of false passports and other documents.
According to the British newspaper, the prosecutor’s office in Sofia has launched an investigation into the activities of the three Bulgarians due to fears that, as part of a pro-Kremlin network, they may have tried to interfere in the Bulgarian elections in Great Britain.
The Sofia sources said the investigation was focused on allegations that the three were part of an international network tasked with surveilling anti-Kremlin figures across Europe, including journalists.
Jambazov and Ivanova are also believed to have worked with the Bulgarian Electoral Commission in Ealing, West London, helping expatriates to vote in national elections. There are suspicions that the couple may have had links to Bulgaria’s pro-Russian Vazrazhdane party, known for its anti-Western and far-right stances, the Telegraph’s sources said.
Tech entrepreneur Orlin Rusev, 45, was arrested at a guest house in Great Yarmouth, on the Norfolk coast. Biser Jambazov, 41, and Kristin Ivanova, 32, were arrested at their home in Harrow, north-west London.
In Bulgaria, however, there are concerns that their alleged activity is not limited to the United Kingdom, where they have been living for about a decade, the British publication also writes.
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