A married Brisbane couple has been charged by the Australian Federal Police with espionage (spying) charges. They are accused of attempting to share confidential information with Russian authorities.
These are the first ever espionage-related charges since new laws were introduced in 2018.
The woman, aged 40, is an army private in the Australian Defence Force. She worked as an information systems technician.
Army officer facing espionage charges
The couple were both born in Russia, but have been living in Australia for about 10 years.
The woman gained Australian citizenship in 2016, and the man became a citizen in 2020. Both retained their Russian passports.
It is alleged the woman undertook undeclared travel to Russia while on long-term leave from the army. The woman allegedly instructed her husband to log into her official work account and send her confidential ADF material while she was in Russia.
The AFP alleges the couple did this “with the intention of providing it to Russian authorities”.
ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess said that Australian authorities are still “piecing together” details. One line of inquiry, that has not yet been determined, is if the woman entered the ADF with the specific intention of committing espionage.
The pair have been charged with one count each of preparing for an espionage offence, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment each.
The couple will face a Brisbane court today.
The police investigation is still ongoing, though no “significant [security] compromise” has been identified.
