The Sofia Appellate Court upheld a decision by a first-instance court denying the early release of Evelin “Brendo” Banev, who is currently incarcerated in Sofia for drug trafficking offenses. The initial denial of the early release application occurred on March 27, 2026, following a submission from the head of the Sofia Prison, where Banev is serving a sentence following convictions in Bulgaria, Italy, and Romania. The legal proceedings were complicated by the suspension of the prison head, Borislav Chobanski, by Justice Minister Andrey Yankulov in late March, after it was revealed he had submitted 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 considering the second condition related to good conduct. Furthermore, Prosecutor Gergana Kyurkchiyska stated that Banev had not furnished conclusive evidence demonstrating that his time served had achieved its rehabilitative purpose. Banev was initially arrested in 2012 during a joint Bulgarian-Italian law enforcement operation, resulting in a 20-year sentence in Italy for involvement in an international cocaine trafficking ring.
In July 2018, a European Arrest Warrant was issued by the Sofia City Prosecution Office to locate him for a six-year sentence. Banev, who was subject to Interpol Red Notices since 2018, surrendered to Bulgarian authorities on June 24, 2024, and was transferred to Sofia’s Central Prison. Subsequently, Banev requested that the Bulgarian court allow him to serve his sentences from 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, deducting time already served in detention in Italy and Sofia.
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