Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese accused Russian authorities of interfering in the Australian government’s espionage trial of a Russian couple on Saturday, July 13th. He demanded that Russia cease interfering in Australia’s internal affairs.
According to Reuters, the Australian Federal Police stated on Friday, July 12th, that Russian-Australian citizens Kira Korolev and her husband Igor Korolev were arrested on suspicions of accessing classified materials related to Australian national security, but no significant leak was found.
The Russian Embassy in Canberra issued a statement on the 12th, calling Australia’s espionage charges against the Korolev couple an incitement of “anti-Russia paranoia.”
In a statement to the Russian news agency RIA, the Russian embassy said: “The purpose of this campaign is obvious – to stir up a new wave of anti-Russia paranoia here and divert Australians’ attention from the numerous failed policies of the ruling Labor Party.”
Prime Minister Albanese told reporters on the 13th that Russia needs to “stop interfering in the internal affairs of other sovereign countries.”
Albanese said in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland: “Russia must cease espionage activities here and around the world.”
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported on Saturday that the Russian Embassy requested written information from Australian authorities regarding the situation of the Korolev couple and is considering “appropriate consular assistance measures.”
The Russian embassy did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
Court documents show that the Korolev couple appeared in court for trial at the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday, each charged with one count of preparing for espionage, punishable by up to 15 years imprisonment. If there is direct evidence of contact between the defendants and a foreign government, the maximum sentence can be increased to 25 years.
These charges were first brought under Australian laws enacted in 2018, and police may bring additional charges.
The two defendants did not apply for bail and will remain in custody until the next court appearance on September 20th.
Australian authorities said that 40-year-old Kira is an information systems technician for the Australian military. She traveled to Russia without reporting it, instructed her husband to log into her work account, retrieve information, and prepare to provide this information to Russian authorities.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw stated that espionage brings harm that can affect Australia’s sovereignty, national security, or way of life. Federal police are working with the military to screen for any other security vulnerabilities within the armed forces.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Australia has been one of the non-NATO countries providing the most assistance to Ukraine and has imposed sanctions on over a thousand Russian individuals and entities.
At the NATO summit in Washington on July 11th, Australia announced a comprehensive military aid package of 250 million Australian dollars (170 million US dollars) to Kyiv.