Mark Bullen Police Officer: Ex-policeman stripped of British citizenship over Russia links
Mark Bullen Police Officer has become the first British person to lose UK citizenship over links with Russia, in a decision framed by the Home Secretary as a national security measure. The move targets Mark Bullen, 45, a former Hertfordshire Constabulary officer who later obtained Russian citizenship and moved to St Petersburg. He denies wrongdoing and says he was detained at Luton Airport in November 2024 after flying in from Russia.
Mark Bullen Police Officer and the citizenship ruling
The case places Mark Bullen Police Officer at the center of a rare use of citizenship deprivation powers, which are more commonly associated with terrorists and dangerous gangsters. The Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, used those powers on the grounds of national security, while the Home Office said deprivation of British citizenship is a vital tool to protect the UK from people involved in terrorism, hostile state activity, or serious organised crime.
Officials have not disclosed the evidence behind the decision. Mahmood said that the material supporting her ruling “should not be made public in the interests of national security. ”
What happened to Mark Bullen Police Officer
Mark Bullen Police Officer worked for more than a decade at Hertfordshire Constabulary before his British passport was revoked. He had earlier described Russia as his “childhood love” and told Russian media that he was called a spy by family and friends when he was young because of his fascination with the Soviet Union.
He obtained Russian citizenship in 2022, calling it his “lifelong dream, ” and said he has been living in St Petersburg. He also said visiting the UK once or twice a year to see family was easy until November 2024, when he claims he was forcibly detained under terrorism powers at Luton Airport, had his electronic devices seized, and was questioned for four hours about the 2018 Salisbury poisonings.
Reaction and denial
Mark Bullen Police Officer denies any wrongdoing and rejects the idea that he poses a threat to the UK. In comments he made last year, he said he had never been charged, had a perfect police record, received two commendations, and was named officer of the year. He also said he found the action against him “comical” and questioned how a country built on freedom and liberty could behave in that way.
The Home Office has defended the decision as part of a wider effort to keep the country safe. The department said deprivation decisions are never taken lightly, but that the government will always take whatever action is necessary to protect national security.
Why the case stands out
The case is notable because only two other people, both foreign-born, are believed to have had their British citizenship removed over suspected links to the Kremlin. Mark Bullen Police Officer is now the first British person known to have lost citizenship on that basis, making the ruling unusually significant.
During his police career, he met senior Russian officers and took part in a month-long exchange in St Petersburg, adding another layer of scrutiny to a case that is already under heavy official protection. What happens next will likely depend on how the Home Office handles any further challenge to the ruling and whether more details can be made public without compromising security. For now, Mark Bullen Police Officer remains at the center of one of the most closely watched citizenship decisions in recent years.
