A Bulgarian woman from London, Katrin Ivanova, denies involvement in Russian espionage operations, claiming she was unaware of the Salisbury poison attack and only sought to capture a fugitive believed to have stolen money from Russia.
A court hearing at the Old Bailey has seen a Bulgarian woman from London deny charges of conspiracy to spy for Russia.
Vanya Gaberova, 30, and Tihomir Ivanchev, 39, have already pleaded guilty to similar charges, while their partner ‘Katrin Ivanova, 33, is now facing trial.’
Involvement in Espionage Operations
Ivanova claimed she was not aware of multiple espionage operations against people and places of interest to the Russian state.
However, she acknowledged that her partner Biser Dzhambazov had informed her about ‘Kiril Kachur, a designated foreign agent by Russia.’
Ivanova believed Kachur was a ‘fugitive’ wanted by Interpol and thought she would share in a ‘big reward‘ from Interpol when he was captured.
Surveillance of Bulgarian Journalist
Ivanova also denied possessing multiple false identity documents and claimed she was unaware of the existence of such documents found by police in a London flat shared with Dzhambazov.
The court heard that ‘Ivanova had been instructed to surveil Christo Grozev, a Bulgarian investigative journalist who had exposed Russian involvement in the 2018 Novichok attack in Salisbury.’
Christo Grozev is a Bulgarian investigative journalist and the founder of the investigative journalism outlet Bellingcat.
He is known for his work in exposing high-profile scandals and crimes, including the downing of 'Malaysia Airlines Flight 17' over Ukraine in 2014.
Grozev has been recognized with several awards for his reporting, including the European Press Prize and the Dutch Journalist Award.
He is also a vocal advocate for media freedom and online safety.
Lack of Awareness
Ivanova stated she was not aware of the Salisbury poison attack and only became informed about it after her arrest.
She claimed she was not interested in politics or Russian espionage and that her actions were motivated by a desire to find Kachur, whom she believed had stolen money from people in Russia.
On March 4, 2018, a former Russian spy and his daughter were poisoned with a nerve agent in Salisbury, England.
The victims, Sergei Skripal and Yulia Skripal, were found unconscious on a public bench.
British authorities identified the substance as Novichok, a military-grade nerve agent developed by Russia.
Investigations revealed that the poison was likely applied to the victims' clothing or skin.
Prime Minister Theresa May blamed Russia for the attack, leading to a diplomatic crisis between the two countries.
The incident sparked international outrage and raised concerns about chemical warfare.
Denial of Deceit
Ivanova acknowledged that Dzhambazov was ‘deceitful and dishonest‘ but maintained she was not.
She also claimed to be doing penance for her actions, stating ‘I’m doing that now.’
