CPS authorises charge against sixth person suspected of spying for Russia
Nick Price, Head of the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: “The CPS has authorised a charge of conspiracy to conduct espionage against a sixth person suspected of spying for Russia.
“Tihomir Ivanchev, 38, will be charged with conspiring to obtain, collect, record, publish or communicate documents or information which might be or was intended to be directly or indirectly useful for a purpose prejudicial to the safety and interest of the state.
“On September 21, 2023, Orlin Roussev, 46, Bizer Dzhambazov, 42, Katrin Ivanova, 32, Ivan Stoyanov, 32, and Vanya Gaberova, 29, were charged with conspiring to collect information intended to be directly or indirectly useful to an enemy for a purpose prejudicial to the safety and interest of the state between 30 August 2020 and 8 February 2023.
“The charges follow an investigation by the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command.
“Criminal proceedings against the six individuals are active and they each have the right to a fair trial.
“It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.
“The function of the CPS is not to decide whether a person is guilty of a criminal offence, but to make fair, independent and objective assessments about whether it is appropriate to present charges for a criminal court to consider.”
Notes to editors
Between 30 August 2020 and 8 February 2023:
Tihomir Ivanchev, [DOB: 31/07/1985], from Acton, west London, together with
Orlin Roussev, [DOB: 06/02/1978], from Great Yarmouth in Norfolk,
Bizer Dzhambazov, [DOB: 21/04/1981], from Harrow in north-west London,
Katrin Ivanova, [DOB: 01/07/1991], from Harrow in north-west London
Ivan Stoyanov, [DOB: 22/12/1991], from Greenford, west London, and
Vanya Gaberova, [DOB: 10/08/1994], from Churchway, north-west London, conspired together and with Jan Marsalek, and others unknown, to obtain, collect, record, publish or communicate documents or information which was calculated to be, or might be or was intended to be directly or indirectly useful to an enemy for a purpose prejudicial to the safety and interest of the state, contrary to section 1 of the Criminal Law Act 1977.
Tihomir Ivanchev will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, 28 February 2024.
The trial is listed for 28 October 2024 at the Central Criminal Court.
All six defendants are Bulgarian nationals.
The Counter Terrorism Division is responsible for prosecuting terrorism crimes and terrorist related offences in England and Wales. It also prosecutes allegations of incitement to racial and religious hatred, war crimes and crimes against humanity, official secrets cases, piracy and hijacking.