A Bulgarian national accused of involvement in Russian spy operations in the UK asserts in court that she was unaware of the true intent behind her actions, which included surveillance on a US military base and investigative journalists.
Bulgarian Woman in London Claims Innocence Amid Spy Allegations
Bulgarian Woman in London Claims Innocence Amid Spy Allegations
Katrin Ivanova denies knowing her actions were part of a Russian espionage operation as her trial unfolds.
Katrin Ivanova, a 33-year-old Bulgarian woman residing in London, has publicly refuted allegations that she was involved in a Russian espionage ring, asserting that she was unaware that her actions would ultimately benefit Russian intelligence. The court has heard that she is part of a group accused of plotting a coordinated series of operations across the UK and Europe.
The charges against Ms. Ivanova include espionage activities targeting a US military installation in Germany and covertly filming two investigative journalists considered adversaries by the Russian government. During the proceedings, jurors learned that the journalists involved faced significant risks, including potential kidnapping or assassination.
This is the first time Ms. Ivanova has taken the stand, where she emphatically denied being a spy. While she acknowledged traveling across Europe and tracking the targeted individuals, she maintained that she was oblivious to the actual motives behind these activities. In her testimony, she claimed that one such operation focused on investigative journalist Christo Grozev, was presented to her as an effort to expose alleged corruption, a task she believed to align with journalistic intentions.
“I thought the goal was to reveal Mr. Grozev’s corruption,” she stated. However, she later conceded that the operations yielded no published information and resulted in no visible outcomes. Ms. Ivanova revealed that she was convinced by her long-term partner, Biser Dzhambazov, to engage in these surveillance quests, saying, “He has been my partner for over 10 years. Why would he do something that's going to hurt me?”
She outlined their relationship with Orlin Roussev, a friend who provided financial support when they moved to the UK in 2012, which is linked to the alleged spy operations.
The couple’s relationship took a twist when Ms. Ivanova described the traumatic moment of discovering Dzhambazov’s arrest, which occurred while he was in bed with co-defendant Vanya Gaberova, 30. Ms. Ivanova detailed how Dzhambazov had told her he was seeking treatment abroad for a brain tumor, a claim she later came to believe was a façade constructed for him to maintain a secret life alongside Ms. Gaberova.
As the trial progresses, both Dzhambazov and Roussev have admitted to their roles in the conspiracy to spy for Russia, while Ms. Ivanova maintains her innocence, expressing devastation at the revelations about her partner and their entangled lives. The court proceedings are ongoing, and further developments are expected in this high-profile espionage case.
