Paweł Rubcow, a Russian GRU spy posing as a Spanish journalist, had access to the documents of his own investigation, including classified materials, before he was extradited from Poland to Russia. The prosecution could have denied him access to these files, citing “protection of state interests,” but they did not. This decision has sparked controversy and questions about security procedures, according to “Rzeczpospolita.”
Before his extradition to Russia, Paweł Rubcow was granted access to the materials gathered during the investigation against him.
State Compromise
Importantly, among the documents made available were also those classified as secret. The prosecution, having the ability to restrict access to the most sensitive materials, did not utilize the provisions that have allowed since 2021 for the protection of a “significant state interest.”
As pointed out in an interview with “Rzeczpospolita” by an officer of the Internal Security Agency (ABW):
“The prosecution, knowing that he was to be exchanged, should have refused based on Article 156 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. This is a provision introduced in 2021 to protect significant state interests. It acts as a safety valve. Why wasn’t it used?”
The process of making the files available to Rubcow lasted for two weeks in July. The spy was acquainted with the entire body of evidence, including the non-public part. Even Prosecutor Kazimierz Olejnik, a former deputy to the Attorney General during the SLD government, critically views this situation. In his opinion, “the prosecution should have made a selection and provided Rubcow only with the materials on which the charge was based. The rest, including information relevant to state security, should not have been shown.”
He notes:
“What if there were the name of the main informant situated in the Kremlin, would that also have been made available to someone suspected of spying for Russia?”
Key GRU Link
Rubcow, also known as Gonzalez, was arrested at a hotel in Przemyśl on the night of February 27-28, 2022. The man faced prosecutorial charges of espionage on behalf of Russia.
The man was identified as an agent of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the FR (GRU). He conducted activities for Russia, using his journalistic status, which allowed him to move freely across Europe and the world, including areas affected by armed conflicts and regions of political tension,” said the spokesperson for the minister coordinator of special services, Stanisław Żaryn at the time.
Rubcow had two passports, Russian and Spanish. He was born in the USSR. In the 1980s, his mother, the daughter of Spaniards who came to the USSR in the 1930s, returned to Spain and settled in Catalonia. His father was Aleksey Rubcow, from the late 1990s, one of the managers of the major media holding RBC.
For several years, Rubcow spied on the community of Russian oppositionists. In 2016, he made the acquaintance of Zhanna Nemtsova, the daughter of Boris Nemtsov, a murdered leader of the anti-Kremlin opposition. He maintained contacts with the organization founded by Zhanna Nemtsova – the Nemtsov Foundation for Freedom.
GRU spy Paweł Rubcow was operated by people directly associated with the Russian command of death, whose members circulated through Poland during the “reset” with Russia. There are numerous trails connecting the “Spanish journalist” with the top echelons of the GRU and the infamous Unit 29155.