Polish authorities accuse a Russian couple of working for Moscow’s intelligence services after the two were granted asylum in the country as opponents of Putin, according to the “Guardian”.
Igor and Irina Rogov arrived in Poland in 2022, a few days after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, posing as dissidents of Vladimir Putin’s regime and linked to several opposition movements, including Alexei Navalny’s Foundation and Open Russia. According to the process, quoted by the British daily, The couple had been cooperating for several years with Russia’s Federal Security Service, the internal security agency that succeeded the KGB.
Rogov, 30, admitted to Polish authorities that he passed encrypted information to the FSB about Russian activists and other people in Poland who could be of interest to Moscow’s intelligence services. He was recruited as an agent several years ago, still in Russia, and coerced into infiltrating the local branch of an opposition movement, under the threat that, if he did not do so, his father would be mobilized to serve in the Russian army.
Igor Rogov was detained by Polish authorities last summer, initially due to suspected links to an explosive package. Poland has been affected by a wave of arson attacks and other sabotage attacks believed to be coordinated by Russian intelligence services. Later, the woman was also arrested, and both were accused of working as FSB agents.
Since 2022, Poland has made it difficult for Russian citizens to obtain visas, making exceptions only for humanitarian reasons and for people linked to opposition movements, as they believed to be the case with the Rogov couple.
The first hearing of the trial is scheduled for December 8.