French National Detained at Bulgarian-Turkish Border on Suspicion of Terrorism

A French national has been detained Monday at the Kapitan Andreevo border crossing point on suspicion of terrorism, according to the press office of Bulgaria’s prosecuting authority.

Fritz Jolie Joaquin, 29 (spelled Fritz-Joly Joachin according to some reports), a French national, had two European Arrest Warrants issued against him, including one for participating in a criminal organization with a terrorist aim and one for kidnapping his three-year-old son and smuggling him out of the country.

The man was detained on January 1 while attempting to cross the Bulgarian-Turkish border at the Kapitan Andreevo border crossing point.

Joaquin’s wife had told the police that the man was seeking to take the 3-year-old boy to Syria to raise him in a jihadist community, according to reports of Reuters and AFP.

According to unconfirmed reports of Bulgarian media outlets, the man was linked to one of the Kouachi brothers who carried out the terror attack against French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

According to a media statement of a Haskovo-based court, the French national asked to be extradited to France.

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