Bulgaria to lodge formal charges in Bourgas terrorist bombings in early 2014 – Prosecutor-General

Bulgaria knows the whereabouts of two of the suspected perpetrators of the terrorist bombing at Sarafovo Airport in Bourgas in July 2012, and by March 2014 will lodge formal charges in court, Prosecutor-General Sotir Tsatsarov told reporters on September 12 2013.

In the Bourgas bombing terrorist attack, which was directed against a group of Israeli tourists, five Israelis, a Bulgarian and the bearer of the bomb died.

A Bulgarian-led investigation established a trail back to members of the Hezbollah’s military wing, leading EU foreign ministers to declare the Lebanon-based group a terrorist organisation.

Tsatsarov said that the suspects were in a country from which extradition would be possible. “Whether the extradition request will be respected depends on the country where these people are.”

Tsatsarov said that the indictment regarding the terrorist attack could be lodged in court in the first three months of 2014.

He said that he was keeping head of state President Rossen Plevneliev informed on developments in the investigation, given the bearing on national security.

Tsatsarov said that if the suspects were handed to the Bulgarian authorities, they would be tried in Bulgaria. If they were not handed over, they would be tried in absentia.

He said that his office did not believe that there was a need to use the provision in the Penal Code for court proceedings to be suspended pending the accused being found.

“We should give a clear signal that this terrorism meets with zero tolerance in Bulgaria and eventually receives a punishment under the law,” Tsatsarov said.

The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said on August 8 2013 that it is seeking information on two suspects, Hassan El Hajj Hassan and Meliad Farah, who are wanted for questioning in connection with the bus bombing.

 

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