Britain has for the first time stripped a native of his citizenship due to ties to Russia. The case concerns 45-year-old Mark Bullen, who currently lives in Russia.
The Sun writes about this.
The decision was made by Interior Minister Shabana Mahmud on national security grounds. It is the first time a British-born person has been stripped of their citizenship — previously such measures had only been applied to foreigners.
The letter Bullen released states that the decision was made "in the public interest". However, details of the case are not being disclosed for security reasons.
The British Home Office explained that such powers are used very rarely — in cases related to terrorism, activities in the interests of enemy states, or serious crime.
Bullen himself questioned the legality of the decision and said he had not been tried. He said British intelligence services had questioned and monitored him but had not brought charges.
Bullen grew up in London and worked for Hertfordshire Police for more than a decade. During this time, he frequently visited Russia and organised exchanges between law enforcement officers. As early as 2013, he was questioned by intelligence officers who were interested in his trips to Russia.
After leaving the police force in 2014, he moved to Russia, where he now works for “Zenit” football club. He is married to a Russian citizen and has four children, but has periodically returned to Britain to visit family.
During one such trip in November 2024, he was stopped at “Luton” Airport by counter-terrorism officers. The man was questioned for several hours under the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act, had his electronic devices seized for inspection, and was then released.
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