Afghan refugee or Russian spy? The Times reveals the story of a man who accessed top-secret British files

Headquarters of the British foreign intelligence service MI6 (European News Agency)

The British newspaper The Times revealed that an Afghan refugee accused of spying for Russia lied to obtain asylum in the United Kingdom before working in the Foreign Office, learning the secrets of the British army and intelligence, and meeting the future king, Prince Charles at the time.

The newspaper reported that a British court heard the case of this man accused of spying for Russian intelligence, and who also worked at the British Government Communications Headquarters and the British external intelligence service, MI6.

The Times explained that this man, whose name was not revealed, who worked with two British prime ministers, and met Prince Charles and Prince William on their visits to Afghanistan while working in the British government, eventually obtained Russian and British citizenship.

The alleged spy was stripped of his British citizenship in 2019 after MI5 believed he was an agent of the Russian military intelligence service, and the government said he posed a risk to national security if he was allowed to return to the United Kingdom.

The alleged spy, known as C2, entered the United Kingdom in 2000 - according to the newspaper - and was granted asylum after claiming that he fled the Taliban and came directly from Afghanistan, although he lived for 6 years in Russia. He denied being an agent, but revealed that MI5 accused him of being trained since he was five years old by Russian military intelligence.

From Afghanistan to the British Government Communications Headquarters

C2 spent his childhood under the Soviet regime in Afghanistan before paying a human smuggler to take him to Russia in 1994. He settled there and studied Russian language and literature before marrying a Russian citizen. Then, in 2000, he came to the United Kingdom with the help of a human smuggler as well, and at Heathrow Airport. Instead of boarding the plane, he surrendered himself to immigration officials in London and requested asylum, saying that he came directly from Afghanistan.

C2 admitted in court that he lied in his asylum application, and said that he concealed the fact that he was living in Russia for fear of being deported, and instead claimed that he came directly from Afghanistan, because his family was under threat from the Mujahideen, and Rory Dunlop, the government representative, asked whether the smuggler was an agent. Russia?.

The court was told that C2 began working as a freelance interpreter for public bodies, including the police, courts and the Home Office, before working for the British Government Communications Headquarters. It was also told that he went on to work for the Ministry of Defence, the External Security Service and NATO, and was Naturalized as a British citizen.

In 2006, shortly after C2 announced that he was working for GCHQ, the British government accused Russia of poisoning dissident Alexander Litvinenko with polonium in London. Litvinenko died weeks later, and London expelled Russian intelligence officers in response.

In the late 2000s, C2 moved to Afghanistan to work at the Foreign Office, during which time he met members of the royal family and senior politicians, including Gordon Brown and David Cameron. He claims to have survived several assassination attempts. And a member of Pakistani intelligence tried to recruit him.

London accused Moscow of responsibility for the poisoning and killing of Alexander Litvinenko (Associated Press)

Close relations with Russia

After leaving the State Department, C2 went to work in Afghanistan in a variety of roles that gave him close exposure to Russian officials. He visited Russia at least six times, and admitted in court that he had passed cash bribes to two Russian military attaches, whom MI5 later told him An agent of Russian military intelligence, and he also met with an official in the Russian Foreign Ministry.

He admitted to handing over copies of his identity card and NATO-related business information to them, but said the materials were not confidential and that it was common for commissions to be paid to middlemen involved in the deals.

C2 continued to operate in Afghanistan until the fall of Kabul, during which time British security services became suspicious of his relationship with Russia. When he traveled to London to see his family, he was asked to meet a British intelligence officer and another man from the FBI, and was interrogated about his links to the intelligence agencies. And his meetings with Russian military intelligence agents.

C2 said that the British man, who called himself “Robert”, accused him of being trained by Russian military intelligence since he was five years old, and entering the UK in 2000 to work as an agent for that intelligence, and he was also told that the emails and phone messages He was subject to probation, and was asked to take a polygraph test, which he was told he failed.

In court this week, Robert Palmer, C2's lawyer, said his client had put his life in danger while working for the Foreign Office in Afghanistan, and had a "long track record of loyalty to the United Kingdom." He denied being a national security risk or an agent, and made clear he had never met... With Russian officers only after leaving government employment, at which time he had no access to secret documents.

Source: Times