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 at the Sofia City Court on March 27, 2026. The request for release was submitted by the head of the Sofia Prison, where Banev is serving a 10-year sentence following convictions in Bulgaria, Italy, and Romania.
The process was complicated when caretaker Justice Minister Andrey Yankulov suspended the prison head, Borislav Chobanski, after reports indicated he had initiated the release application. The first-instance court determined that Banev had not completed more than half of his total sentence, which is a prerequisite for early release. Consequently, the second condition, pertaining to good behavior, could not be assessed.
Furthermore, Prosecutor Gergana Kyurkchiyska stated that Banev had not presented 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 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 capture to serve a six-year sentence, as his whereabouts were unknown.
Banev, who had been subject to Interpol Red Notices since 2018, surrendered to Bulgarian authorities on June 24, 2024, and was transferred to Sofia’s Central Prison. 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 Italy and Sofia deducted from the term.
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