Australia charges couple over Russian spying

Australian police announced Friday they have charged a married couple with espionage, accusing them of trying to pass sensitive information to Russia.

The 40-year-old woman and her 62-year-old husband — both holders of Russian passports — were charged with “preparing for an espionage offense,” federal police commissioner Reece Kershaw told a news conference.

The charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment.

The couple were arrested at their homes in Brisbane on Thursday.

They were to appear in the city’s magistrates court later Friday.

The accused woman was an Australian army private and had been working for several years as an “information systems technician” in the defense force, Kershaw said.

She took “non-declared” travel to Russia during her long-term leave from the defense forces, he said.

While in Russia, she allegedly told her husband how to log into her official account at home.

“We allege her husband would access requested material and would send to his wife in Russia,” Kershaw said.

“We allege they sought that information with the intention of providing it to Russian authorities,” he added.

“Whether that information was handed over remains a key focus of our investigation.”

The police chief said the woman obtained Australian citizenship in 2016 and her husband did so in 2020.