Bulgarian Prosecution Accuses Russian Diplomat Of Espionage

The Bulgarian prosecutor's office claimed on Friday that a Russian diplomat, whom the agency called the "first secretary" of the embassy without disclosing their name, was engaged in "intelligence activities."

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st April, 2022) The Bulgarian prosecutor's office claimed on Friday that a Russian diplomat, whom the agency called the "first secretary" of the embassy without disclosing their name, was engaged in "intelligence activities."

"In the course of the investigation it was established that an individual enjoying diplomatic immunity had been carrying out unregulated intelligence activities in the form of gathering information of national importance, presumably in the interests of another country. He was accredited as 'first secretary' at the Embassy of the Russian Federation," the prosecutor's office said in a statement.

It further alleged that the evidence suggests a violation of Article 41 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

Bulgarian Chief Prosecutor Ivan Geshev informed the country's foreign minister, Teodora Genchovska, of the data "collected during the investigation of a possible offense." He urged Genchovska to take action under foreign ministry jurisdiction.

Earlier on Friday, the head of the Bulgarian State Agency for National Security (SANS), Plamen Tonchev, said that Bulgaria would soon declare several more Russian diplomats personae non gratae. Tonchev made the statement after the Bulgarian Specialized Prosecutor's Office announced launching an investigation involving two SANS employees and a ministry official on suspicion of "spying for Russia."

On March 18, ten Russian diplomats were declared personae non gratae in Bulgaria. Moscow has vowed to respond in kind.