Overview

• Igor Grechushkin, 48, a Russian-Cypriot identified by Lebanon as the Rhosus owner, was arrested at Sofia airport on September 5 after arriving from Paphos, Cyprus.
• He appeared before the Sofia court on September 7 and was ordered held for up to 40 days as Lebanon prepares extradition documentation required under Bulgarian law.
• Bulgarian prosecutors say he is sought on offenses including the introduction of explosives into Lebanon, a terrorist act causing mass deaths, and disabling machinery to sink a ship.
• The arrest was executed under an Interpol red notice issued at Lebanon’s request based on a warrant dated September 29, 2020.
• The case traces to 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate brought by the Rhosus in 2013 that later exploded in 2020, killing more than 200, as Lebanon’s probe has resumed under Judge Tarek Bitar.