Sofia Court Orders Jail for Suspect under EAW

EAW suspect, Stefan Klenovski, is escorted in the courtroom. Photo by BGNES

The Sofia District Court ruled Friday to keep in permanent detention Stefan Klenovski on grounds he presented a fake ID during his arrest and can attempt to hide.

The ID card he presented had his picture, but the name was listed as Yordan Klenovski while the real owner had been a third person.

The magistrates further pointed out that during an arrest attempt in September 30, the man fled from the three policemen, abandoning his minor child.

Klenovski's lawyer said his client fled in September only after police opened fire on him, adding he might file a complaint with the European Human Rights Court in Strasbourg.

The rule can be appealed.

Stefan Klenovski's arrest on the evening of January 27 was accompanied by accusations of his family of police brutality, which Valeri Yordanov, Chief of the Sofia Directorate of the Interior, refuted outright.

However, CCTV footage of the arrest, which took place at a children's establishment in a shopping mall in Sofia, shows the detainee being given slaps in the face at a point when he has already been rendered powerless.

Klenovski's wife, Ilyana, complained to journalists that her husband had been beaten and cursed during the arrest in front of many children, including their 7-year-old son who had been celebrating his birthday.

Klenovski has no criminal record in Bulgaria, but had a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) issued for him in connection with a 2011 police operation codenamed Shock held against a crime ring specialized in debit and credit card fraud and money laundering.

The Sofia City Court placed him under house arrest on Tuesday.

The remand measure was issued by Miroslava Todorova, Chair of the Bulgarian Judges Association (BJA), who was recently accused by Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov of patronizing organized crime and of incompetence.

Todorova explained the remand measure with the facts that Klenovski was the father of four, had a job and no prior convictions.

The judge, who is likely to file a libel lawsuit against Tsvetan Tsvetanov over the defamatory remarks, said that it was up to the Interior Ministry to oversee the implementation of the remand measure, which was why she had no doubts that Klenovski would go into hiding.

The man was rearrested on Wednesday on new charges - possession of the fake ID card and drivers' license.

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