The Sofia Appellate Court upheld a prior ruling denying Evelin “Brendo” Banev’s application for early release from a Sofia correctional facility. The initial denial of the early release request was issued by the Sofia City Court on March 27, 2026. The application was submitted by the head of the prison where Banev is serving a 10-year sentence following convictions in Bulgaria, Italy, and Romania.
Following the submission of the request, caretaker Justice Minister Andrey Yankulov suspended the prison head, Borislav Chobanski, after it was revealed he had initiated the release application. The first-instance court panel determined that Banev had not completed more than half of his total sentence, which is a prerequisite for early release. Consequently, the court found no grounds to assess the second condition related to good behavior.
Prosecutor Gergana Kyurkchiyska noted that Banev had failed to provide conclusive evidence that the time served had achieved its intended corrective purpose. Banev was initially arrested in 2012 during a joint Bulgarian-Italian operation and was sentenced to 20 years in Italy for involvement in an international cocaine-trafficking ring. In July 2018, the Sofia City Prosecution Office issued a European Arrest Warrant to locate him for a six-year sentence.
After remaining wanted under Interpol Red Notices since 2018, Banev surrendered to Bulgarian authorities on June 24, 2024, and was taken to Sofia’s Central Prison. Subsequently, Banev requested the Bulgarian court to serve the sentences imposed by Italy and Romania within Bulgaria. In April 2025, the SCC ruled that Banev would serve a total of ten years and six months in Bulgaria for crimes committed across Bulgaria, Romania, and Italy, with time already detained in Italy and Sofia to be deducted.
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