Information
A Bulgarian court has detained Igor Grechushkin, a 48-year-old Russian-Cypriot shipowner, wanted over the 2020 Beirut port blast that killed more than 220 people and injured thousands. Grechushkin, identified as the owner of the Rhosus, the ship that brought the 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate to Beirut in 2013, was arrested at Sofia airport on September 5 during a routine passenger check. Interpol had issued a red notice for him and two others in 2021, and Lebanese authorities are now preparing to formally request his extradition. The court has authorised his detention for up to 40 days while awaiting the required documents from Lebanon. According to Bulgarian prosecutors, he is sought for allegedly introducing explosives into Lebanon and committing a terrorist act that caused mass casualties.
The ammonium nitrate shipment, initially bound for Mozambique, was stored haphazardly in Beirut’s port for years after the Rhosus was impounded due to legal disputes. In 2020, the stockpile ignited in one of the world’s largest non-nuclear explosions, devastating Beirut and displacing hundreds of thousands. Investigators now hope Grechushkin’s testimony will clarify whether Mozambique was truly the shipment’s intended destination and whether the vessel had carried similar cargo before. The probe into the blast has faced years of political obstruction, but Judge Tarek Bitar resumed it earlier this year amid shifting political dynamics in Lebanon. High-profile figures, including former Prime Minister Hassan Diab and senior security officials, remain under scrutiny as authorities seek accountability for the disaster.
Source: Independent, Reuters
So What
Very litte to add here, just that it’s encouraging to see that investigations are ongoing after all these years. Hopefully, this will help clarify how this situation occurred.
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