A court in Bulgaria has paused proceedings on Lebanon’s request to extradite a man tied to the 2020 Beirut port explosion, pending formal guarantees that he will not face execution if handed over.
The suspect, Igor Grechushkin, a dual Russian-Cypriot national, is accused of involvement in the disaster that killed over 200 people and devastated large parts of the Lebanese capital. The Sofia City Court has asked Lebanese authorities to provide written assurances by December 1 that Grechushkin will not be sentenced to death on any charges, six of which reportedly carry capital punishment.
Deputy Sofia City Prosecutor Angel Kanev stated the court acted within its legal authority to seek these guarantees. Grechushkin’s lawyer, Ekaterina Dimitrova, confirmed the court accepted her objection over the lack of such assurances.
Grechushkin was arrested in Sofia on September 5 after arriving from Cyprus, following an Interpol Red Notice alert at border control. He is believed to have been connected to the MV Rhosus, the vessel that transported nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate to Lebanon in 2013, though reports indicate he only held a lease on the ship, not ownership. The cargo was later stored unsafely at the Port of Beirut before the catastrophic explosion on August 4, 2020.
Lebanese judges had sought Grechushkin’s extradition earlier this year as part of a long-stalled investigation that has gained momentum under a new government. The case now hinges on Lebanon’s response to the death penalty guarantee request.