The February 2022 arrest in Poland of Pablo Gonzalez, a Spanish journalist accused of spying for Russia, may not have occurred without substantial evidence held by Polish authorities, according to retired Spanish infantry general Vicente Diaz de Villegas, who spoke to PAP via Villegas. Independent Russian journalists have indicated that Gonzalez could be controlled by the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence service.
From the general’s perspective, a journalist’s role in informing the public carries accountability and truth, and cannot shield anyone from the law if their actions align with the interests of a foreign power.
“I assume the Polish authorities have solid evidence against this man, therefore his arrest is justified,”
said General Diaz de Villegas. He emphasized that journalism entails reporting to the public with responsibility and accuracy, and that secret allegiance to one country at the expense of others should bear consequences.
The Pablo Gonzalez case, detained since February 2022, has sparked extensive discussion in Spanish media. Recently, Maribel Martinez, a representative of the FreePabloGonzalez organization, accepted the Freedom of Speech Award presented to Gonzalez by the Union of Journalists of Valencia (UPV).
El Mundo published a report under the title “Suspicions of the journalist Pablo Gonzalez,” alleging long-term surveillance of Gonzalez by circles linked to the Zhanna Nemtsova foundation, which advocates for the Russian opposition. Citing an independent Russian portal, Agientstwo, the daily claimed that Gonzalez had gathered information about Russian opposition figures living outside Russia, including Nemtsova’s daughter.
Polish authorities reportedly found messages about Nemtsova and her foundation on Gonzalez’s phone and computer. El Mundo noted that the information came from two sources.
The Madrid daily highlighted that Gonzalez, who worked for the regional newspaper Gara and aligned with leftist and Basque nationalist ideas, met Nemtsova in Brussels in 2016. From then on, he purportedly maintained contact with Nemtsova’s circle and other figures associated with her foundation.
In an interview with El Mundo, Olga Shorina, co-founder of the Nemtsov Foundation, confirmed that Gonzalez, born in the Soviet Union and holding a Russian passport, regularly attended events organized by the Russian opposition community.
“At first we suspected nothing …, but later we were surprised that a journalist from a small Basque magazine travels so much,” Shorina said, noting that conversations with Gonzalez suggested his political views were not favorable to the Russian opposition.
Niemcowa Foundation
El Mundo, citing a source within the Nemtsov Foundation, reported that Polish services found in Gonzalez’s devices references to the foundation and to people Gonzalez had met through it, including a lawyer and other figures connected to the Nemtsov circle. The report also mentioned Ilya Novikov and Vladimir Kara-Murza, a prominent Russian oppositionist currently imprisoned in Russia, among the individuals linked to Gonzalez’ activities.
The Spanish paper quoted a source from the Nemtsov Foundation stating that Gonzalez methodically prepared reports that appeared not to be journalistic in nature.
Two unnamed sources suggested that Gonzalez could be an agent of the GRU, the Russian military intelligence service, who was monitoring Nemtsova’s environment.
The agency also reported that Gonzalez might request an unspecified source to cover expenses related to activities in the Nemtsova area, tied to his fieldwork.
According to a Russian portal, Gonzalez, a Moscow-born individual with a Russian father, Alexey Rubtsov, a former RBK television employee, divided his reports into three parts: meeting descriptions, expense estimates, and planned future actions. His belongings allegedly included letters written by Borys Nemtsov, possibly taken from his daughter’s computer, along with notes about a summer journalism school run by a foundation led by Zhanna Nemtsova.
When PAP questioned General Diaz de Villegas about the Spanish media campaign surrounding Gonzalez’s arrest in Poland, the general criticized the involvement of certain media outlets, arguing that the reporting in El Mundo clearly describes the actions of a Spanish citizen detained in Poland.
“In my view, the material clearly indicates that this man may be a cop,” the Spanish commander summarized.
Gonzales, whose Russian passport bears the name Paweł Rubcow, was arrested in Przemyśl on February 28, 2022, four days after the start of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
Source coverage and commentary circulate with a sense of urgency and debate about espionage, press freedom, and the implications of cross-border investigations. The discussion continues as more documents and testimony surface from various outlets and officials.