Bulgaria declares two Russian diplomats persona non grata

Bulgaria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on September 23 declared two Russian diplomats accredited in Bulgaria to be persona non grata. The Russian embassy was notified by a note. The two diplomats were granted 72 hours to leave the country.

Earlier in the day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs received a letter from the Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Bulgaria with a decree suspending pre-trial proceedings against the two diplomats who collected information constituting a state secret, with the purpose of passing it to a foreign state or organization - a crime under Art. 104, para. 1 of the Penal Code.

The pre-trial proceedings against the Russian citizens have been suspended because they enjoy diplomatic immunity.

Within its competence, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria has taken the necessary actions in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.