Accused Russian spy couple living in Brisbane back in court
The legal team for one half of the couple accused of spying for Russia sparred with the prosecution in court over whether the nearly 300-page statement of facts effectively summarized the case against their clients.
Kira Korolev, 41, who served in the Australian Army. He was arrested with his worker partnerIgor Korolev at home at Everton Park on Brisbane’s north side in 2024.
The Australian Federal Police allege that the former information systems technician, who held an ADF security clearance and served in the army for years, traveled to Russia undeclared while on long-term leave from the army in 2023.
While he was away, he allegedly told Igor how to log into his official work account from their home in Brisbane to access material on defense computer systems to send to Russia.
The case triggered national concerns about foreign interference, as the pair were accused of preparing to carry out an act of espionage.
Several devices of the couple were seized, the contents of which had to be translated into Russian. The prosecution is still working on this material.
In the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday, Igor Korolev’s legal aid lawyer Anastasia Stoenko attempted to elaborate on the basis of the prosecution’s case, noting that the statement of facts was 288 pages long.
“This contains a lot of information, but perhaps not information about what the basis of the case is.”
Given the volume of material, Stoenko said they couldn’t have prepared it properly without more information.
Federal prosecutor Ellie McDonald argued that the statement about the incident adequately summarized the basis of the allegations against the couple.
Kira Korolev’s legal team of Phillips Crawford Lawyers has not requested anything other than another court date following the upcoming bail application.
Stoenko’s request was rejected by the judge, who said that, in general, it is important for the defense what evidence is relied on, but that this will be part of the trial process.
The Korolevs remained in custody, although Kira’s Legal team applied for bail last month.
His barrister Alan Phillips told the court that given the complexity of the case, a half-day hearing expected to be held in the Magistrates’ Court would be allocated for the application in March.
McDonald said he would oppose bail in the application, which is expected to return to court on March 31.
The matter will now return to court on April 17.
Cloe Read is the Brisbane Times’ crime and courts reporter.Connect with: X or email.
