The Sofia Appellate Court upheld a lower court’s decision on Friday, denying an early release application for Evelin “Brendo” Banev, who is currently incarcerated in Sofia for drug trafficking offenses. The initial denial of the early release request occurred at the Sofia City Court on March 27, 2026. The application was submitted by the head of the Sofia Prison, where Banev is serving a sentence following convictions in Bulgaria, Italy, and Romania.
Following the submission of the application, caretaker Justice Minister Andrey Yankulov suspended the prison head, Borislav Chobanski, after it was revealed that he had initiated the release process for Banev. 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 basis to assess the second condition related to good conduct.
Prosecutor Gergana Kyurkchiyska stated that Banev had failed to provide conclusive evidence demonstrating that the time served had achieved its intended rehabilitative purpose. Banev was initially arrested in 2012 during a joint Bulgarian-Italian law enforcement operation and subsequently received a 20-year sentence in Italy for involvement in an international cocaine-trafficking ring. In July 2018, the Sofia City Prosecution Office issued a European Arrest Warrant for his six-year sentence, as his whereabouts were unknown.
After being wanted under Interpol Red Notices since 2018, Banev surrendered to Bulgarian authorities on June 24, 2024, and was taken to the Central Prison in Sofia. In April 2025, a court 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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