Austrian diplomat dismissed for leaking data on the investigation into Novichok to Russian intelligence service informant Jan Marselek

According to the newspaper, in July the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Economy and Defense announced the possible disclosure of confidential documents on Novichok. According to Kurier, there are indications that Peterlik was involved in the transfer of the document to Marsalek. Previously FT sources reported that Marsalek boasted of this document containing the “Novice” formula to the London bankers. The content of the document could be of interest to the Russian special services in order to understand how far the OPCW has advanced in the investigation of the Skripal poisoning.

Jan Marselek has been put on the wanted list by the authorities of Germany and Austria and some other countries due to suspicions of links with Russian intelligence. In 2020, the German company Wirecard, which he runs, collapsed after auditors noticed a hole in the balance sheet of nearly 2 billion euros. It soon became clear that Marsalek was connected not only with financial fraud, but also with PMCs in Libya, and was in close contact with the Russian special services.

The Insider with Bellingcat and Der Spiegel succeeded not only to discover his whereabouts, but also to find many new confirmations of his ties with the FSB. As it was found out, in the border crossing database (which is combined for Russia and Belarus) Jan Marsalek is listed as having entered Belarus on a private plane on the night of June 19, 2020. According to border data, after that he did not leave the country. According to Stern sources, Marsalek is now being held on the territory of the FSB Central Service Center in Balashikha.