20 March,2011 07:53 AM IST | | ANI
Katia Zatuliveter, a former assistant to Liberal Democrat MP Mike Hancock in Britain who was accused of being a Russian spy, has been reportedly granted permission by a London court judge to work for Russian television as a political commentator.
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The permission to work for the Russian English-language news channel RTTV was granted by the judge at a bail hearing in central London on Friday.
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Twenty-five-year-old Zatuliveter is fighting deportation after she was accused of using her position as an MP's assistant to pass information to Russian intelligence, The Telegraph reports.
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She said that the Government was violating her basic human rights by trying to deport her using secret evidence from the security services, and added that she is "frustrated" by the secrecy of the proceedings, most of which will take place behind closed doors at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Siac).
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"I am very frustrated by the decision of the Government to deport me and by the secrecy of the proceedings where I cannot see the full case against me. My early departure is the only opportunity the Government has to win this case and I think that is why it is insisting on such onerous bail conditions," the paper quoted her, as saying.
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"However, I will not leave until I clear my name at the substantive hearing in October," she added.
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Meanwhile, her lawyers have alleged that no evidence has been disclosed on whether or not she had ever received any payment from the Russian intelligence services, or that she has ever worked for them, met any of their agents, or mishandled sensitive information.
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The alleged spy is accused of meeting a Russian intelligence officer at Portcullis House in Westminster in December 2008.
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Her lawyers, however, said that Zatuliveter was "adamant that no such meeting ever took place" and added that the government did not provide any evidence of the meeting.
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Zatuliveter was arrested in December amid fears she was spying for Russian intelligence agency, and the British government reportedly wants to deport her on the grounds her presence is a danger to national security.
