The Sofia Appellate Court upheld a prior ruling 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. 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, thereby negating the need to assess the second condition regarding good behavior.
Prosecutor Gergana Kyurkchiyska stated that Banev had not provided conclusive evidence 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, leading to a 20-year sentence in Italy for involvement in international cocaine trafficking. In July 2018, the Sofia City Prosecution Office issued a European Arrest Warrant for a six-year sentence after he could not be located at known addresses.
Banev, who was subject to Interpol Red Notices since 2018, surrendered to Bulgarian authorities on June 24, 2024, and was placed in Sofia’s Central Prison. Subsequently, Banev requested that the Bulgarian court allow him to serve the sentences imposed in Italy and Romania within Bulgaria. At a parliamentary hearing on June 28, 2024, caretaker Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov reported that the Interior Ministry had information suggesting Banev entered Bulgaria via plane between late March 2022 and early June 2022.
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 from the term.
Topics: #sofia #court #early
