Bulgarian judicial sources announced on Tuesday the arrest of the owner of the ship that transported a cargo of ammonium nitrate, which was stored in the Port of Beirut and exploded in 2020, resulting in over 200 fatalities. Families of the victims continue to seek justice.
The ship’s owner was apprehended at Sofia Airport on September 5, as stated by a spokesperson for the Bulgarian capital’s court.
Lebanese authorities had identified Igor Grechushkin, a 48-year-old dual citizen of Russia and Cyprus, as the owner of the vessel “Russo’s,” which had its cargo unloaded in Beirut in November 2013. The ship remained docked in the port after Lebanese judicial proceedings were initiated against its owner, ultimately sinking in 2018.
This shipment, estimated at 2,750 tons, was behind a massive explosion on August 4, 2020, making it one of the largest non-nuclear blasts in history. The disaster resulted in over 200 deaths and injured more than 6,500 individuals, causing extensive damage to the port and surrounding areas.
At the time, Lebanese officials attributed the explosion to the improper storage of ammonium nitrate at the port without safety measures, following a fire of unknown origin. It later emerged that officials at multiple levels were aware of the risks associated with storing this substance but failed to take action.
After his arrest, Grechushkin appeared before a Sofia court on September 7, which ordered his detention for a maximum of 40 days, according to the spokesperson.
Bulgarian law allows authorities requesting extradition a period of 40 days to provide necessary documentation to justify the transfer of the wanted individual.
– Interpol Notice –
Another Bulgarian judicial source, who spoke to AFP on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that Grechushkin was detained upon his arrival from Paphos, Cyprus, in compliance with a Red Notice issued by Interpol.
The Red Notice from the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) is a “request addressed to law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest an individual pending extradition” or to “take legal action.”
The Bulgarian prosecution office clarified in a statement on Tuesday that the Interpol notice was issued at the request of Lebanese judicial authorities, based on an arrest warrant dated September 29.
Grechushkin is wanted on charges of “introducing explosives into Lebanon, committing acts of terrorism leading to numerous deaths, and impairing machinery to sink a ship.”
According to Bulgarian border police, Grechushkin was arrested during routine inspections of travelers arriving from Paphos.
Sofia Airport’s border police chief, Zdravko Samuelov, informed media on Tuesday that the detainee “did not resist arrest. He insisted on speaking to a lawyer for a long time, but after consulting one, he fully cooperated.”
He added that the detainee informed border police that he was visiting Sofia for tourism purposes.
Last month, relatives of the Beirut port explosion victims commemorated the fifth anniversary of the tragedy, reiterating their demands for justice.
The investigation into the explosion has been mired in political complications in Lebanon, with Hezbollah leading efforts to demand the resignation of Judge Tarek Bitar, who faced numerous lawsuits aimed at removing him from the case. However, he resumed his work earlier this year in light of shifting political dynamics.
After more than two years of stagnation, Bitar completed interrogations of all defendants, including politicians and military and security leaders, while three former ministers and the former Attorney General declined to appear before him, according to previous source information provided to AFP.
The judge is awaiting the completion of some procedures to conclude the investigation and refer the case to the Public Prosecution for its opinion before issuing the indictments, according to the same source.
This year, Lebanese authorities pledged to achieve justice for the victims.