Between a rock and a hard place

last updated 8 January 2015

Moscow

Russia this week accused four British diplomats of espionage, saying they were using electronic equipment hidden inside a fake rock in a Moscow park. A grainy video, played on state television, purportedly showed a British Embassy staffer picking up the “rock,” which Russian officials said concealed a communications system used to transmit classified information. The Russians said the British were also secretly financing private organizations in Russia that support human rights. While such backing is not illegal, the British involvement could advance a Kremlin campaign to discredit the groups. British Prime Minister Tony Blair, asked about the charges, said the government “never comments on security matters—except when we want to.”