Bulgarian Court Pospones Rule in US Extradition Case

An impressive group of about 500 people gathered Friday morning in front of the main Courthouse in the Bulgarian capital Sofia to protest in support Gergana Chervenkova, who is facing extradition to the US.

The United States authorities requested her extradition to try her legal case there.

The demonstrators gathered as another extradition hearing of the case took place.

The rule of the Court of Appeals, however, was delayed for a second time until Bulgaria's Main Directorate for "Combating Organized Crime" (GDBOP) provides more evidence.

Chervenkova will stay in prison, separated from her family, until the next hearing on July 19. The Bulgarian Court will then have to decide whether to pass Chervenkova to American justice. In the US she may face up to 68 years in prison.

The defenders of the young woman and mother of two children wore T-shirts reading "We will not give up Gergana" and "You are next." Many of them entered the court building, planning to attend the hearing.

The protest was organized on Facebook where 3 300 people have joined in support of Chervenkova. Her husband has also created a petition against her extradition.

Chervenkova is accused of being part of a group for unauthorized online drug trade in her capacity of financial manager for the British company "Euromedonline Ltd."

The US authorities have sent statements, according to which Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents have solid evidence the Bulgarian was involved in the unlawful sale of drugs.

Chervenkova worked in the commercial agency "BG Global Services", which is a service company of "Euromedonline Ltd." Her role was to process weekly reports from the sales system and to calculate the accumulated fees and commissions for doctors and pharmacies based on sales realized through the site. Cherevenkova's responsibilities did not involve selling drugs.

The former Interior Minister from Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) party, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, however, stated Chervenkova was the head of the organized criminal group. He also said that her arrest happened due to good cooperation between Bulgarian and US authorities.

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