Bulgarian court rejects Lebanon’s extradition request over Beirut blast

No elder fig has been held accountable since the devastating detonation much than 5 years ago.

A Bulgarian tribunal has rejected Lebanon’s petition to extradite Igor Grechushkin, a Russian-Cypriot shipowner wanted successful transportation with the 2020 Beirut larboard explosion, a hammer stroke for the metropolis that came during the archetypal months of the coronavirus pandemic and amid a deepening economical crisis.

Grechushkin, 48, is the erstwhile proprietor of the Rhosus, the vessel allegedly carrying the ammonium nitrate that detonated astatine Beirut larboard connected August 4, 2020.

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The blast killed astatine slightest 218 people, injured astatine slightest 6,500, and devastated ample parts of Beirut, leaving tens of thousands homeless.

It was 1 of the largest non-nuclear explosions ever recorded, generating a seismic lawsuit of 3.3 magnitude felt arsenic acold distant arsenic Syria, Israel and Cyprus.

Grechushkin was detained successful Bulgaria successful September connected an Interpol announcement issued astatine Lebanon’s petition and has been held pending extradition proceedings.

Ekaterina Dimitrova, Grechushkin’s lawyer, told reporters that the Sofia City Court ruled Lebanon had not provided “sufficient grounds to guarantee that the decease punishment volition not beryllium imposed connected him or, if imposed, volition not beryllium carried out”. The proceeding was closed to the media.

The ruling tin beryllium appealed wrong 7 days astatine the Sofia Court of Appeal, whose determination volition beryllium final. Authorities said Grechushkin volition stay successful custody until the entreaty process concludes.

Angel Kanev, the supervising prosecutor, said helium would situation the decision, arguing that Lebanon’s justness minister, Supreme Court and authoritative wide had already fixed the indispensable assurances.

“Given that they person been fixed by specified an authorization … I judge that the grounds for extradition exist,” Kanev said.

Authorities successful Lebanon accidental the detonation was triggered by a occurrence successful a larboard warehouse wherever astir 3,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate had been stored for years without due safeguards, contempt repeated warnings to officials.

Meanwhile, much than 5 years later, nary elder fig has been held accountable wrong Lebanon. Families of the victims impeach governmental leaders of blocking the probe to shield officials from prosecution.

The archetypal investigative justice was removed aft charging high-ranking officials. His successor, Judge Tarek Bitar, besides issued charges against elder politicians, who refused to look for questioning, denied wrongdoing and stalled the probe.

Bitar resumed the probe earlier this twelvemonth and has questioned respective existent and erstwhile officials, but has yet to contented a preliminary indictment.

The detonation caused spot harm estimated astatine $15bn and displaced astir 300,000 people, compounding an already terrible economical situation successful Lebanon.

Earlier this month, Pope Leo XIV offered prayers astatine the tract of the Beirut larboard blast, 1 of the last stops successful his three-day sojourn to Lebanon.

The Catholic Church person prayed silently and lit a lamp astatine a monument to victims.