The leader of the pro-Russian Bulgarian party, Mykola Malinov, who is currently on trial for espionage, has met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at least twice since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the last meeting on October 21.
This was reported by Euractiv.
In September 2019, the prosecutor's office announced that it had charged Malinov with spying for Russia and released him on bail of 50,000 leva (25,000 euros). According to the indictment, Malinov joined a foreign organization for the purpose of espionage and disclosure of Bulgarian state secrets.
The investigation established links between Malinov and two Russian citizens - Leonid Reshetnikov and Konstantin Malofeyev, a former head of intelligence and a billionaire. Shortly before Malinov was charged, both were banned from entering Bulgaria for ten years.
Because the prosecutor's office worked slowly and did not have time to file a case against Malinov in 18 months, the bail and travel ban were lifted in March 2021.
Meanwhile, according to his Russophile party, Malinov and Lavrov met on October 21 to continue discussions on the creation of the International Russophile Movement, which began back in September.
"The main topic of conversation was the possibility of Russophile organizations to contribute to the formation of a full-fledged and positive image of Russia; to help establish historical memory in support of positive relations between the Bulgarian and Russian peoples; to actively engage in dialogue with non-governmental and political organizations within the framework of the possible and necessary "people's of diplomacy," the message on the group's website reads.
According to Lavrov, quoted by Malinov's organization, "Non-governmental organizations around the world that have a positive attitude towards Russia can do a lot in the direction of strengthening the multipolar world, the basis, philosophy and purpose of which is constructive cooperation between peoples."
In 2019, after being accused of espionage, Malinov traveled to Russia to receive an award from Russian President Vladimir Putin. This led to a major scandal in Bulgaria when it was revealed that Judge Andon Mitalov had allowed Malinov to travel to Russia without first asking for permission from the prosecutor's office and despite his travel ban.
In 2019, the press secretary of the Russian president, Dmitry Peskov, directly stated that the "persecution" of Malinov "would be illogical" and "would have very harmful consequences" for relations between Moscow and Sofia.
The US State Department imposed an entry ban on Judge Mitalov and his family members because the judge was "involved in serious corruption."
It was the first time that the US applied sanctions against a Bulgarian. In the end, Judge Mitalov was not brought to disciplinary action by the Supreme Judicial Council of Bulgaria.