The Sofia Appellate Court upheld a previous decision from a first-instance court, denying the request for 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 determined that Banev had not completed more than half of his total sentence, which is a prerequisite for consideration of early release.
Consequently, the court found no basis to assess the second condition related to good behavior. Prosecutor Gergana Kyurkchiyska noted that Banev had failed to provide conclusive evidence demonstrating that the time served had achieved its intended corrective purpose. Banev was initially arrested in 2012 during a 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 to locate him to serve a six-year sentence. After remaining wanted under Interpol Red Notices since 2018, Banev surrendered to Bulgarian authorities on June 24, 2024, and was transferred to Sofia’s Central Prison. Following his arrival, Banev requested that the Bulgarian court allow him to serve the sentences imposed in 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 served in detention in Italy and Sofia being deducted from the term.
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