A Russian woman working for a member of the British Parliament has been detained on suspicion of espionage, the Sunday Times reported on Sunday. She is currently facing deportation.
25-year old Katia Zatuliveter, a researcher for Liberal Democrat MP Mike Hancock, was arrested at the request of MI5. The politician has denied knowing anything about Ms. Zatuliveter’s possible involvement in espionage.“No-one has ever said to me under any circumstances whatsoever that she has been involved in anything like that,” the paper quotes Mr. Hancock as saying. “It is now in the hands of her lawyers. I am sure that in the end she will be proved to be right.”Meanwhile, MI5 insists Ms. Zatuliveter deliberately sought a position with Mr. Hancock with intent to gain access to secret information. Mr. Hancock sits on parliament's defense select committee, which reviews defense policy.“Her presence here is not considered to be conducive to national security. There was unhappiness about what she could have access to,” a source quoted by the paper states.