London Court Convicts Bulgarian Spies Linked to Jan Marsalek's Russian Espionage Network

Three Bulgarians were found guilty of espionage for Russia, orchestrated by fugitive ex-Wirecard executive Jan Marsalek, with their operations targeting dissidents, journalists, and military sites across Europe.

A London court convicted three Bulgarian nationals of espionage for Russia, operating under the direction of Jan Marsalek, a former Wirecard executive now believed to be in Russia.
The convicted individuals carried out surveillance on dissidents, investigative journalists, and military sites, including a U.S. base near Stuttgart, Germany, between 2020 and 2023.
Marsalek, who fled in 2020 following the Wirecard financial scandal, is alleged to have acted as a liaison between Russian intelligence and the espionage network's leader, Orlin Roussew.
The group discussed plans to kidnap or harm Putin-critical journalists and used tactics such as surveillance on flights and 'honey traps' to gather compromising material.
The court's decision marks one of the most significant espionage cases in the UK in decades, with sentencing for the convicted individuals scheduled for May.

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung