US EditionBulgarian court rejects extradition of Russian owner of a ship linked to Beirut port blast
Bulgaria's Sofia City Court denied extradition of Igor Grechushkin over lack of death penalty assurances; blast killed 218 and injured 6,500 in Beirut, officials said.
- On Wednesday, the Sofia City Court rejected Lebanon's request to extradite Igor Grechushkin, ruling Lebanon failed to provide sufficient evidence against imposing or carrying out the death penalty.
- On August 4, 2020, the Beirut port blast killed at least 218 people, injured at least 6,500, and devastated large parts of Beirut, causing about $15bn in damage and displacing roughly 300,000 people.
- Held under custody in Bulgaria, the closed hearing ruled Grechushkin will remain detained while the appeal proceeds, and Investigative judge Tarek Bitar may still question him.
- Angel Kanev, supervising prosecutor, said prosecutors will challenge the extradition refusal, arguing Lebanon's justice institutions gave assurances and the ruling can be appealed within seven days at the Sofia Court of Appeal.
- Lebanon's stalled investigation shows victims' families accuse political interference, while Tarek Bitar, investigative judge, resumed work earlier this year but has yet to issue an indictment; a Lebanese judicial source said Beirut cannot change laws case-by-case but plans to appeal Wednesday's decision.
18 Articles
18 Articles
Bulgarian Court Denies Extradition Request for Russian Tied to Deadly 2020 Beirut Port Explosion
Already a subscriber? Make sure to log into your account before viewing this content. You can access your account by hitting the “login” button on the top right corner. Still unable to see the content after signing in? Make sure your card on file is up-to-date. A Bulgarian court has shot down Lebanon’s request to extradite a Russian shipowner tied to the deadly 2020 Beirut port explosion. Some shit you should know before you dig in: Ba…
Igor Grechushkin's ship was transporting explosives, which resulted in the port explosion in Beirut in 2020.
Bulgarian court rejects extradition of Beirut blast suspect
A Bulgarian court has rejected Lebanon's request to extradite a Russian shipowner linked to the 2020 Beirut port blast, citing insufficient security guarantees from Lebanese authorities. Igor Grechushkin, a Cyprus-based Russian businessman whose vessel transported the explosive material that detonated at Beirut port in August 2020, killing more than 220 people, was detained in Bulgaria in September for possible extradition to Lebanon, where he i…
Fears of the death penalty justified a Bulgarian court's decision on Wednesday to refuse to extradite to Lebanon a Russian with Cypriot citizenship, whom Lebanese authorities accuse of involvement in the devastating 2020 saltpeter explosion in Beirut's port. According to Igor Grechushkin's lawyer, Lebanon has not provided sufficient guarantees that it will not apply the death penalty against her client if he is extradited and convicted. The deci…
The Straits Times
The AlgemeinerBulgarian court rejects Lebanon's extradition request for Russian over Beirut blast
SOFIA, Dec 10 - A Bulgarian court has rejected Lebanon's request to extradite a Russian shipowner linked to the 2020 Beirut port blast, citing insufficient security guarantees from Lebanese authorities. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 77% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
