A 37-year-old Slovenian citizen has been arrested in Bulgaria on suspicion of criminal activities and links to the Palestinian terrorist organisation Hamas, the Bulgarian Prosecutor’s Office announced on Friday. He was detained in Sofia on the basis of a European Arrest Warrant issued by Austria. The Slovenian police also confirmed the information to the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) today.
Last weekend, the General Police Directorate (GPU) was informed that a Slovenian citizen wanted by the Austrian judicial authorities had been arrested in Bulgaria. Further details could not be provided today due to data protection concerns.
According to the Bulgarian news agency BTA, the 37-year-old Slovenian man has been identified as E.A., and the Sofia court has not yet taken a decision on his extradition to Austria. The 37-year-old will remain in custody pending the outcome of the proceedings. The Bulgarian State Agency for National Security (DANS) reported that the Slovenian was arrested on the basis of a European Arrest Warrant issued by the prosecutor’s office in Wels, Austria. It added that no link had been found between his alleged criminal activities and Bulgarian citizens or foreigners living on Bulgarian territory.
It is not yet known how the Slovenian citizen is linked to Hamas, which is considered a terrorist organisation by the European Union. According to the Sofia prosecutor’s office, he was arrested in a coordinated operation involving the Bulgarian Interior Ministry, in addition to the Bulgarian State Agency for National Security.
Sara Kovač
