Bulgarian Court Denies Extradition of Ship Owner Linked to Beirut Explosion
A Bulgarian court has denied a request from Lebanese authorities to extradite Igor Grechushkin, a Russian-Cypriot national and former owner of the ship linked to the catastrophic explosion that occurred in Beirut five years ago. The court cited insufficient guarantees from Lebanon regarding the non-application of the death penalty should it be imposed on Grechushkin.
Grechushkin's attorney, Ekaterina Dimitrova, stated that the refusal was based on the fact that "Lebanon did not provide assurances that if a death sentence were issued, it would not be carried out," according to Agence France-Presse. The public prosecutor has the option to appeal this decision within seven days to the Sofia Court of Appeals, whose ruling will be final. This decision will keep the suspect in temporary detention until the appeal is reviewed.
It is important to note that Grechushkin, the owner of the "Rhosus" vessel that transported a cargo of ammonium nitrate to the port of Beirut, was arrested last September (2025) at Sofia Airport based on an international arrest warrant issued by Lebanese authorities. The Lebanese prosecutor has charged him with "introducing explosives into Beirut, a terrorist act resulting in numerous fatalities, and sabotaging equipment with the intent to sink a ship."
Local investigations into the August 4, 2020 disaster continue despite numerous setbacks over the past five years. Preliminary investigations have concluded that the massive explosion, regarded as one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history, resulted from a fire in a warehouse where tons of ammonium nitrate had been stored unsafely for years. Investigators found that officials at multiple levels were aware of the dangers posed by this substance but failed to take necessary precautions.
The explosion resulted in over 220 deaths and more than 6,500 injuries, in addition to causing extensive damage to the port and surrounding areas of the Lebanese capital. Many Lebanese citizens are still awaiting a thorough investigation that will deliver justice for the victims and clarify the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident.
