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The Australian Federal Police has upgraded the charges against Russian-born Australian citizens alleged to have conspired to commit espionage and transmit Australian Defence Force material to Russian authorities.
The married pair was originally charged on 11 July 2024, with one count each of preparing for an espionage offence and have since been upgraded to conspiracy to commit espionage, under Operation Burgazada.
The charges against former Australian Army Private Kira Korolev and labourer Igor Korolev were upgraded at Brisbane Magistrates Court on 29 June, according to reports from the ABC.
The 42-year-old woman and 64-year-old man are each facing one count of conspiracy to commit espionage, contrary to section 91.1(1) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth), by virtue of section 11.5(1) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth). The offence carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
It’s the first time this offence has been laid in Australia since new laws were introduced by the Commonwealth in 2018.
Assistant commissioner cyber and special investigations Sandra Booth said the upgraded charges were a better representation of the serious allegations.
“Espionage remains one of the most significant national security threats to Australia, impacting government, businesses and the university sector,” assistant commissioner Booth said.
“The AFP – as a member of the Counter Foreign Interference Taskforce – is committed to working with its partners within Australia and across the globe to defend and protect Australia and Australia’s future from security threats.”
The Counter Foreign Interference Taskforce, which includes the AFP, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and other Commonwealth partners, has dedicated significant resources and capabilities to Operation Burgazada, which remains ongoing.
The two Russian-born Australian citizens were originally arrested in 2024 on accusations of obtaining Australian Defence Force material to share with Russian authorities.
At that time, the AFP alleged that the pair was working together to obtain sensitive information and while on long-term leave from the ADF since 2023, the woman undertook non-declared travel to Russia with and without the man.
The AFP alleged that while the man remained in Australia, the woman instructed him on how to log into her official work account and guided him to access specific information to send directly to her private email account while she was in Russia.
The AFP further alleged that the woman’s ADF account credentials were used on a number of occasions to access sensitive ADF information, with the intent to provide it to Russian authorities.
Robert Dougherty
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