The owner of the ship linked to the deadly explosion in the port of Beirut in August 2020 was arrested on September 5 at Sofía Airport, the spokesman for the Bulgaro Capital Court on Tuesday, September 16.
Igor Grechushkin, a 48 -year -old citizen from Russian Antipriot, is appointed by the Lebanese authorities such as the owner of Rhosus, the ship that transported the ammonium nitrate landed in the port of Beirut, where he had exploded, killing more than 200 people, thousands of wounds and great damage.
A load stored without caution at the origin of the drama
The explosion, one of the largest non -nuclear explosions in history, had been caused by a fire in a warehouse where ammonium nitrate was stored despite the repeated warnings to the highest officials.
The load of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate had arrived at the port of Beirut in November 2013. The port authorities stored them in this warehouse in ruins, according to the Lebanese officials, while the “Rhosus”, immobilized after the launch of the prosecution against the owner, had fluid to the port in 2018.
After his arrest, Igor Grechushkin appeared before Sofia’s court on September 7 and was put in detention for a maximum period of 40 days, “said the spokesman.
According to Bulgarian legislation, the authorities requesting an extradition have 40 days to send the necessary documents to justify the transfer of the requested person.
“He did not oppose any resistance”
Igor Grechushkin was arrested on his arrival of Paphos (Cyprus), based on a red notice of Interpol, confirmed another Bulgarian judicial source under the cover of anonymity. A red notice is “a request to the police around the world to temporarily locate and arrest a person waiting for their extradition” or “legal action”.
“The dissemination of the International Arrest Order by Interpol was carried out at the request of the Lebanese judicial authorities, based on an arrest warrant issued on September 29, 2020,” said the Bulgarian prosecutor’s office in a statement issued on Tuesday.
Igor Grechushkin is sought for “Introduction of Explosives in Lebanon, a terrorist act that led to the death of a large number of people, deactivating machines to cause a ship,” added the prosecution. According to the border police, Igor Grechushkin was arrested during a routine control of the passengers who arrived from Paphos.
“He did not oppose any resistance. For a long time he has insisted on talking to a lawyer and, after consulting one, he cooperated completely,” journalists Zdravko Samuilov, border police chief at Sofia airport.
He told the agents that he came to Bulgaria “to do tourism,” he added.
The search for justice always hindered in Lebanon
In Lebanon, five years after disaster, the families of the victims continue to claim justice.
A first responsible judge in 2020 of the investigation had thrown the sponge after accusing the former prime minister, Hassan Diab and three former ministers.
The independent judge Tarek Bizar had resumed the investigation that in turn had interrupted in January 2023, facing the hostility of a large part of the political class, in particular Hezbollah that accused him of impartiality, before being prosecuted for insubordination.
He was able to resume his investigations in early 2025 after the entrance according to President Joseph Aoun and his prime minister, who promised to preserve the independence of justice, after the war between Israel and Hezbollah whose Shiite movement was very weak in the fall.
Source: BFM TV
