Chief Prosecutor: No Grounds to Extradite Zhelyaz Andreev and 4 other to USA

Bulgaria’s Chief Prosecutor Sotir Tsatsarov said on 25^th of April that there was no ground to extradite to the United States Zhelyaz Andreev and four other Bulgarians accused of violating the US trade embargo against Syria. A meeting related to the case was held between Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, US Ambassador Eric Rubin, Chief Prosecutor Sotir Tsatsarov and Justice Minister Tsetska Tsacheva.

The US side will accept that this is not a matter of urgency, and the persons will not be detained. However, this is only the first stage, Sotir Tsatsarov, Chief Prosecutor said. The second stage is related to the fact that within certain deadlines given the requests aready made, the requersts for extradition in essence with the relevant supporting documents should arrive. Our understanding is that there are no legal prerequisites for the extradition of the individuals, he added.

Minister of justice, Tsetska Tsacheva, said after the meeting in the Prime Ministe’s office that consultations with the US side regarding Art. 20 of the treaty between the two countries have been held, including representatives of the justice departments and prosecutors.

Zhelyaz Andreev, 29, was arrested in Dobrich (Northeastern Bulgaria) earlier in April in connection with a Miami investigation against eleven individuals, including himself and four other Bulgarians.

He was arrested pursuant to an Interpol ‘red notice’ based on an indictment charging him with “conspiracy to defraud the US government and substantive violations of the Syria Trade Embargo”.

Andreev was accused of violating the Syrian trade embargo and taking part in a conspiracy to sell prohibited aircraft parts to the Syrian regime.

Andreev worked in the Bulgaria office of AW-Tronics, a Miami export company which shipped and exported various aircraft parts and equipment to Syrian Arab Airlines.