site.btaUPDATED Prosecution Service: Russian Diplomat in Sofia and Retired Bulgarian General Are Involved in Intelligence Activity

The prosecution service has notified the Foreign Minister that it has evidence of intelligence activity in Bulgaria carried out by a counselor in the Russian Embassy in Sofia, the prosecuting magistracy said in a press release on Wednesday.  In a Facebook post later in the day the prosecuting magistracy said it also has evidence of the involvement of a retired Bulgarian general.

As a result of joint work by the Specialized Prosecution Office (SPO) and the State Agency for National Security (SANS), a pre-trial proceeding for crimes against Bulgaria has been instituted. 

The suspected activity of the Russian diplomat contravenes the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, the press release says. 

In a post in its Facebook account, the prosecuting magistracy said that evidence was also gathered in respect of a retired Bulgarian general who had been divulging information constituting state secret. The person in question worked in the Defence Ministry and had access to classified information concerning the EU and NATO. 

Two addresses and two cars have been searched by prosecutors.

Earlier on Wednesday Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev tweeted that the specialized prosecution office and SANS are investigating Russian espionage activity which threatened Bulgaria’s national interest. "I congratulate the SPO and SANS for yet another investigation of Russian espionage activity which threatens Bulgaria’s national interest," Geshev wrote.

He implied that "such achievement of the specialized prosecution office" may be the reason why some politicians seek to abolish specialized justice.