5 Bulgarians charged with spying for Russia appear by video in UK court

By SYLVIA HUI
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Five Bulgarians living in the U.K. who were charged with spying for Russia have appeared in court for an initial hearing. The three men and two women are accused of “conspiring to collect information intended to be directly or indirectly useful to an enemy,” namely Russia, between August 2020 and February this year. The five are alleged to be part of a network conducting surveillance on behalf of Russia. Prosecutors said much of the activity took place abroad, but coordination took place in the U.K. The five appeared Tuesday by video at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London, speaking only to confirm basic details. The suspects were arrested by the Metropolitan Police’s counter-terrorism officers in February under the Official Secrets Act.