Stanisław Żaryn, spokesman for the minister of the secret services coordinator wrote on Twitter that the Internal Security Agency (ABW) detained a Spanish citizen of Russian origin in Przemyśl. The man was accused of participating in the activities of foreign intelligence against Poland.

Żaryn said that the man was identified as an agent of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Federation (GRU). He carried out activities for Russia using his journalist’s status. As a result, he was able to move freely around Europe and the world, including zones affected by armed conflicts and areas of political tensions.

The detainee stayed for several days in the Podkarpackie Province where he obtained information that if used by the Russian secret services could have a direct negative impact on the internal and external security and defense of Poland.

He added that before his detention by the Internal Security Agency, the man planned to travel to Ukraine in order to continue his activities. Extensive evidence was secured on the detainee, which is currently undergoing detailed analyzes.

The press department of the National Prosecutor’s Office (PK) informed that the man was detained in a hotel room in Przemyśl and that Polish officers revealed two passports and two payment cards of Russian banks for two different identities. The Rzeszów Prosecutor’s Office department accused him of espionage which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. At the request of the prosecutor, the court decided to arrest the man for three months.

The first findings of the proceedings show that the suspect was engaged in espionage activities in Warsaw, Przemyśl, Medyka and other cities of the Republic of Poland, as well as in Ukraine and other countries.

Arkadiusz Słomczyński