Sri Lanka
USA
Canada
India
UK
UAE
A BBC investigation has revealed that three Bulgarians recently convicted of spying for Russia attended a Brexit-focused event at the UK Parliament in May 2016.
Orlin Roussev, Biser Dzhambazov, and Katrin Ivanova—members of a UK-based Russian espionage ring—were present at the Palace of Westminster during a political gathering that featured European party representatives. Social media photographs unearthed by the BBC show the trio at the event, seated behind senior Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) figure and then-MEP Georgi Pirinski.
All three were part of a spy network led by Roussev, which UK prosecutors say targeted Russian dissidents, investigative journalists, and political enemies of Vladimir Putin across Europe. The six-member cell operated out of the UK and will be sentenced later this week following a four-month trial at the Old Bailey.
Evidence revealed Roussev was already in contact with Jan Marsalek—an Austrian fugitive and alleged Russian intelligence asset—before the 2016 event. Marsalek, formerly an executive at the now-collapsed Wirecard, is suspected of coordinating the group’s surveillance operations from Moscow.
The Brexit debate they attended was held in a committee room sponsored by then-MP Lyn Brown, now Baroness Brown of Silvertown. Baroness Brown told the BBC she has “no memory” of the event and no knowledge of the individuals. There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by any organisers or political attendees.
Despite Roussev’s dismissal in 2012 for embezzlement, he continued to attend high-profile events while posing as a legitimate businessman. During the trial, messages showed Dzhambazov boasting of connections in the upper levels of the BSP, where he, Ivanova, and others also helped administer Bulgarian elections in the UK.
The revelations have reignited concerns about parliamentary security, especially in light of previous espionage cases involving Chinese nationals. Former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith called for an internal investigation, warning how easily individuals can move within Parliament if security is not rigorous.
Parliamentary officials reiterated that security protocols remain robust, emphasizing the balance between public access and safety.
