The Sofia Appellate Court upheld a prior ruling by a first-instance court, denying Evelin “Brendo” Banev’s application for early release from a facility in Sofia. Banev is currently serving a sentence in Bulgaria following convictions related to drug trafficking in Bulgaria, Italy, and Romania. The initial denial of the early release request occurred on March 27, 2026, following an application submitted by the head of the Sofia Prison.
This development led to the suspension of the prison head, Borislav Chobanski, by caretaker Justice Minister Andrey Yankulov. The first-instance court determined that Banev had not completed more than half of his total sentence, which is a prerequisite for considering early release. Consequently, the court found no basis to evaluate the secondary condition concerning good behavior.
Furthermore, Prosecutor Gergana Kyurkchiyska stated that Banev had failed to provide conclusive evidence demonstrating that the time served had achieved its intended corrective purpose. Banev’s legal history includes an arrest in 2012 during a joint Bulgarian-Italian operation, resulting in a 20-year sentence in Italy for involvement in international cocaine trafficking. After being sought via a European Arrest Warrant in 2018, he surrendered to Bulgarian authorities on June 24, 2024.
Following this, the Bulgarian court ruled in April 2025 that Banev would serve a total of ten years and six months in Bulgaria for crimes committed across the three nations, deducting time already served. The Sofia Appellate Court’s decision reinforces the legal requirements that must be met for any consideration of early release.
Topics: #sofia #court #early
