33-year-old Katrin Ivanova, part of the Bulgarian spy cell operating in the UK, denied knowing that the information she collected would be sent to Russia, the jury learned after another day of the trial at the Central Criminal Court in London ended, BNR reported.
Katrin Ivanova and five other Bulgarian nationals have been charged with spying for Russia in a series of sophisticated operations in the UK and Europe.
She is alleged to have been in the area of a US military base in Germany and secretly filmed two investigative journalists considered enemies of the Russian state.
The jury heard that there was a risk that the journalists would be kidnapped or killed. Giving evidence for the first time, Ivanova denied being a spy. According to her, she agreed to follow people targeted by the operations and travel around Europe, but she did not know the true purpose of the activity.
Ivanova said that she believed that an operation against investigative journalist Hristo Grozev was in itself a form of journalism and would reveal to the public that he was corrupt.
“The plan was to try to expose Grozev“, were Ivanova's words in court.
She said that her then-partner Biser Dzhambazov, to whom she had dedicated her life, had asked her to participate in surveillance operations.
”He was my partner for more than 10 years. Why would he do something that would hurt me?“ - Ivanova asked.
She broke down in tears as she recounted how her partner was arrested in bed with the other alleged spy in the case, Vanya Gaberova.
Biser Dzhambazov and Orlin Rusev pleaded guilty. The trial continues.