Bulgarian Court Rules to Extradite Paris Terror Suspect to France

Bulgaria’s Haskovo Regional Court granted a French request for the extradition of Fritz-Joly Joachin (C) on charges of terrorism, 20 January 2015. Photo BGNES

A Bulgarian court has ruled to extradite to France a French citizen suspected of having been in close contact with the Kouachi brothers who had killed 12 people at the Paris office of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

The regional court in the city of Haskovo, in southern Bulgaria, on Tuesday decided to grant the European Arrest Warrant issued by a Paris court against Fritz-Joly Joachin, Nova TV reported.  

A French citizen of Haitian origin, Joachin was arrested in Bulgaria on January 1 while attempting to cross the Bulgarian-Turkish border at Kapitan Andreevo checkpoint.

According to the European Arrest Warrant Joachin, 29, has to be extradited to France to face charges of participation in an organised crime group whose aim was the organisation of terrorist acts.

Joachin told the court in Haskovo he was not guilty and wanted to be subject to an investigation. He has to be delivered to the French authorities within 10 days.

The suspect is facing up to 10 years in jail if found guilty on the charges listed in the French extradition request, Nova TV said.

 

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