A former police officer has become the first British citizen to be stripped of citizenship over suspicions of ties to Russia. The individual is 45-year-old Mark Bullen, who currently lives in Russia.
Source: Bukvy
The decision was made by UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood on national security grounds. This is the first case in which citizenship has been revoked from someone born in the country over alleged links to the Kremlin. Previously, such measures were applied only to people who were not UK-born.
In a letter from October published by Bullen online, Mahmood stated: “You are deprived of British citizenship on the basis that it is conducive to the public good.” She also emphasized that the evidence could not be disclosed “in the interests of national security.”
The Home Office explained that such powers are used extremely rarely — in cases related to terrorism, activity on behalf of hostile states, or serious organized crime.
Bullen himself questioned the legality of the procedure, saying: “Where is due process in this case?” He also stated: “If I am guilty — take me to court, let a judge and jury decide my fate.”
According to him, British intelligence services had repeatedly taken interest in him: “A special unit questioned me twice and monitored me in London for several days in a row, disguising themselves as dog walkers. So either I am innocent or they are incompetent — you decide.”
Mark Bullen grew up in Enfield in north London and served more than ten years in the Hertfordshire police. During that time, he regularly visited Russia and organized professional visits for Russian law enforcement officers to the UK. In 2010, he also took part in a one-month exchange program in Saint Petersburg.
Bullen obtained Russian citizenship in 2022. In comments to Russian media, he said: “It was the dream of my life.” He said his interest in Russia began in his youth — he first traveled there in 1999 at the age of 18 and taught himself the language.
After leaving the police in 2014, Bullen moved to Russia, where he now works for the football club Zenit in Saint Petersburg. He is married to a Russian citizen and has four children.
According to British media, he returned to the UK about once a year to visit family. During one such trip in November 2024, he was stopped and questioned by counterterrorism officers at Luton Airport after arriving from a flight from Turkey.
He was questioned for several hours under provisions of the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019, which covers suspected activity on behalf of hostile states. Police said he was detained, his electronic devices were seized for inspection, and he was later released without arrest.
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