A Russian couple arrested for espionage in Slovenia in December 2022 has pleaded guilty and been sentenced to 19 months in prison each. The couple has been released since they have already served their time in custody.
The court in Ljubljana simultaneously banned the couple from returning to the country within five years.
The couple, who under false names presented themselves as immigrants from Argentina, settled in Slovenia in 2017. The man started an IT company and the woman an art gallery. According to reports, they used Slovenia as a base to mediate orders and money from Moscow to other "sleeping agents" in surrounding NATO and EU countries.
The couple's children have meanwhile attended an international school in Ljubljana. The trial was held behind closed doors.
Correction: In an earlier version, the wrong country was stated.
