site.btaChinese National Charged with Espionage, Remanded in Custody

The Sofia City Court has remanded in custody a Chinese national charged by the prosecution service with espionage, the press office of the prosecution service said on Monday.

According to the prosecution, between an unspecified date in July 2025 and June 18, 2026, in Sofia, the defendant attempted to obtain information classified as a state secret with the aim of providing it to a foreign state. The alleged act was not completed due to circumstances beyond his control.

The prosecution service opened pre-trial proceedings on June 18 following a report from the State Agency for National Security, and the court issued its ruling on June 21.

The court agreed with the prosecutor's arguments that sufficient evidence had been presented to support a reasonable suspicion that the defendant was the perpetrator of the crime with which he had been charged. The court also found that there was a real risk of him absconding.

The court's decision is not final and may be appealed.