Bulgarian Roussev Pleads Not Guilty in Iran Drug Smuggling Trial

Goranov said that Roussev is well physically and mentally. He concluded that the Bulgarian authorities have received assurances at all levels that the Iranian court will be impartial and only consider factual evidence. Photo by arza.org

55-year-old Zhivko Roussev pleaded not guilty at his second hearing Tuesday on drug smuggling charges in Iran, which could result in him being given the death sentence.

Dragovest Goranov, spokesperson for the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated Tuesday that the Iranian court will give its verdict on Roussev within two weeks. He added; "The judge was very attentive, friendly, everything was heard.”

Goranov said that Roussev is well physically and mentally. He concluded that the Bulgarian authorities have received assurances at all levels that the Iranian court will be impartial and only consider factual evidence.

The hearing was held in Iran's fourth largest city, Tabriz, where Roussev is in custody for allegedly smuggling 135kg of heroin on his truck.

In September 2008, Roussev, from the southern Bulgarian town of Galabovo, was arrested in an anti-drug operation.

Even though the man disappeared his daughter did not alert the Bulgarian authorities because she thought her father had got married to a Russian woman in Armenia.

Roussev's transport company waited for quite a while before telling the police one of their truck drivers was missing but they announced a wrong name. Thus, Bulgaria's Foreign Affairs Ministry only learned about the case in January 2009.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!