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On Friday, three Bulgarian nationals residing in the UK were convicted of espionage at the Old Bailey in London, marking a significant development in a case linked to Russian intelligence activities.
According to Dan Sabbagh, the Guardian’s editor for defense and security, the incident commenced with a seemingly innocuous inquiry. “A request from one of the world’s most wanted men,” he elaborates in conversation with Michael Safi. “He writes, expressing interest in tracking a Bulgarian individual affiliated with Bellingcat, Christo Grozev. Could we investigate him? Would this generate too many complications?”
Sabbagh discusses how Jan Marsalek, an Austrian-born operative for Russia, orchestrated a network centered in London aimed at surveilling journalists and other figures of interest.
Additionally, Roman Dobrokhotov, a Russian journalist who now lives in exile in the UK, shares his experiences of being targeted by Marsalek and his intelligence cohort. His perspective highlights the broader implications and dangers faced by journalists operating in politically charged environments.
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www.theguardian.com