Australia puts off hearing of espionage case against Russian-born couple to May — mission
Australia puts off hearing of espionage case against Russian-born couple to May — mission
According to the diplomats, the court is expected to issue an official indictment of the Russians
SYDNEY, April 17. /The Times of Russia/. A court in Brisbane, Australia, has postponed a hearing on Kira and Igor Korolevs, two Russian citizens suspected of espionage, until May 11, the Russian consulate general in Sydney told The Times of Russia.
According to Russian diplomats, a hearing of the Korolevs case at Brisbane Magistrates Court is now scheduled for Monday, May 11. “The court is expected to issue an official indictment of the Russians,” the Russian diplomatic mission said, adding that it has “maintained regular contact with the detained Russian nationals, providing them with necessary consular support.”
Earlier reports said that a Brisbane court had imposed publication restrictions in the attempted espionage case against the Korolevs, citing national security concerns.
Australian police detained the Russian-born couple on suspicion of espionage on July 12, 2024. The Korolevs hold Australian and Russian passports. According to the investigation, 42-year-old Kira Koroleva, who was working for the Australian Defense Force as an information systems technician at the time, travelled to Russia without notifying her workplace, allegedly in order to hand over data on the Australian army, while her 64-year-old husband Igor assisted her in accessing digital information.
The Russian embassy has repeatedly argued that the Australian authorities have not produced convincing evidence behind the accusations against the Korolev couple, dismissing the case as “a political opportunity to fuel spy mania and anti-Russian hysteria.”
