A Bulgarian woman accused of being part of a Russian spy cell working in the United Kingdom denied her knowledge that the information she collected will be sent to Russia.
Catherine Ivanova, 33, accused of spying for Russia in a series of complex operations in the United Kingdom and Europe.
It is alleged that it has targeted an American military base in Germany and has secretly depicted two investigative journalists who are considered enemies of the Russian state.
The jury learned of the risk of kidnapping or assassinating journalists.
In providing evidence for the first time, Mrs. Ivanova denied that she was a spy.
She accepted the follow -up of the target people with operations and travel throughout Europe, but she said she did not know the real purpose of this activity.
She said that she believed that one of the operations that targeted investigative journalist Christo Gruziv was in itself a form of press and would reveal to the public that it is corrupt.
“The plan was an attempt to expose Mr. Gruziv.”
Nevertheless, no information was published at all and “nothing has already happened.”
She said that her partner at the time, Bayser Dambazov, who told the jury that she trusted her life, asked her to participate in the surveillance operations.
“My partner was more than 10 years old. Why is he doing something that would harm me,” she said.
Ivanova told the court that the operations were to help the friend of Dambazov Orlene Roussev, who helped the couple financially after they moved for the first time to the United Kingdom in 2012.
She said that the couple met Rousseff for the first time at East Creidon station in 2012, and went with him for dinner at the “Black” restaurant near the Thames.
She said, “I was greatly affected by him.” “He was always a person I wanted to be. He was a typical hero in the story of immigrants.”
Diamazov and Roussif have already admitted to conspiring to spy in favor of Russia.
Mrs. Ivanova wiped her tears on the witness platform as she describes how her partner was arrested in bed with the other alleged spy in this trial, Vania Gabrova, 30.
The jury heard that Dmdazov and Mrs. Gabrova were in bed together when the police arrived to arrest them in February 2023.
She said that Dambazov told her that he had a brain tumor and traveled abroad for treatment. And now you think that it was a lie so that he could live a “parallel life” with Mrs. Jabrofa.
The trial continues.
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