Four Bulgarians escape with suspended sentences for taking photos of Greek military facilities
Four Bulgarians have received suspended sentences in Greece for taking photographs of military installations after Greek authorities accused them of espionage, private national bTV channel said on May 26 2009.
The four Bulgarian nationals - Delcho Zjekov, Veselina Peteva, Darinka Dimova and Tnaya Vassileva - were arrested by Greek intelligence officers on May 24 2009 while trying to leave the country, bTV said.
This is not the first occasion that Bulgarians have been arrested and accused of espionage by Greek authorities. In August 2008, three Bulgarians were arrested and sentenced to 15 months for espionage.
In last year's case two of the convicted individuals were enlisted army staff, a sergeant and a private, Bulgaria's Defence Ministry confirmed. They were on holidays in Greece but their stay had nothing to do with their work for the ministry, the ministry said.
They had taken photos of Greek military installations in the border town of Ormenio. Before their arrest, they were seen in a train, taking photos of other military installations. Greek examining magistrates found numerous pictures of military facilities taken with the Bulgarians' camera.
According to AFP, the Bulgarians claimed that they were in Greece as tourists and merely wanted to publish the photos in a Bulgarian military magazine.
The four Bulgarian nationals - Delcho Zjekov, Veselina Peteva, Darinka Dimova and Tnaya Vassileva - were arrested by Greek intelligence officers on May 24 2009 while trying to leave the country, bTV said.
This is not the first occasion that Bulgarians have been arrested and accused of espionage by Greek authorities. In August 2008, three Bulgarians were arrested and sentenced to 15 months for espionage.
In last year's case two of the convicted individuals were enlisted army staff, a sergeant and a private, Bulgaria's Defence Ministry confirmed. They were on holidays in Greece but their stay had nothing to do with their work for the ministry, the ministry said.
They had taken photos of Greek military installations in the border town of Ormenio. Before their arrest, they were seen in a train, taking photos of other military installations. Greek examining magistrates found numerous pictures of military facilities taken with the Bulgarians' camera.
According to AFP, the Bulgarians claimed that they were in Greece as tourists and merely wanted to publish the photos in a Bulgarian military magazine.