"A statement from Eurojust, the European Union's criminal justice coordination body, said it had worked with Romanian, Czech and Hungarian authorities to capture an individual investigated for the crime of treason by way of transmitting state secrets. The Czech Republic expelled a Belarusian diplomat over the affair, as did Moldova. Eurojust did not identify the main suspect but the Hungarian news outlet Telex named him as Alexandru Balan, a former deputy head of the Moldovan intelligence service and for a time its liaison in Kyiv."
"Moldova, which is led by a pro-EU president, Maia Sandu, has been at the centre of a battle between Russia and the west for influence. In a referendum last year, the country voted by a narrow margin in favour of future EU membership, and western intelligence agencies say the country remains a top priority for Moscow. Parliamentary elections are due there later this month."
"It was not immediately clear what kind of information Balan could have provided to the Belarusians. Since leaving Moldova's SIS service, he has been an active participant on the circuit of security conferences in various European countries. A European intelligence source said the Belarusian KGB was mainly focused on the Belarusian diaspora in Europe, where many opposition political forces are based, but added that it worked increasingly closely with Russian intelligence, and could have been helping the Russians carry out operations in Europe."
Eurojust and authorities in Romania, the Czech Republic and Hungary cooperated to identify and arrest an individual investigated for treason by transmitting state secrets, naming Alexandru Balan, a former deputy head of Moldovan intelligence and former liaison in Kyiv. Eurojust alleged Balan met Belarusian KGB officers in Budapest in 2024 and 2025, receiving money and instructions that endangered Romania's national security. The Czech Republic and Moldova expelled Belarusian diplomats over the case. Since leaving Moldova's SIS, Balan attended security conferences across Europe. Moldova, led by pro‑EU president Maia Sandu, voted narrowly for future EU membership in a referendum and remains a priority for Moscow ahead of upcoming parliamentary elections, with Western agencies warning of increased Belarus‑Russia cooperation targeting the Belarusian diaspora and operations in Europe.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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