A Bulgarian faces 80 Years in US Prison on charges of sending Sensitive Electronics to Russia

A Bulgarian arrested in Greece after being wanted by Interpol, as he was being pursued by the American authorities, is threatened with 80 years in prison. The authorities in Washington are demanding for the Bulgarian citizen to be extradited on charges that he illegally sent sensitive electronics to Russia. At the moment, the tech in question is located in the family laboratory in Sofia, and Milan Dimitrov claims that he is innocent and is involved in a Hollywood action for edification.

His story is told by bTV.

Dimitrov was arrested by the police in Greece in December following a US warrant. An FBI investigation claims that Milan, together with his father, sent special electronic chips to Russia.

"The Americans themselves turned to the Greek court, who asked for evidence that these things were sent to Russia, they sent answers that they have no evidence, but still they want my extradition. I completely see through this - to play a propaganda circus 'we caught the terrible spies with incredible technologies, and then we weren't right'," said Milan Dimitrov by phone from the Greek prison.

The Bulgarian is charged with money laundering, conspiracy, violations of export control regulations and providing false information to US authorities. For each of them, he is threatened with 20 years.

The father and son are accused of obtaining radiation-resistant chips from a Texas company and sending them to Russia.

"They say that our company received more than 1 million dollars to buy the machines in question and exported them to Russia. These machines cost 53,605 dollars," said Milan Dimitrov.

But US prosecutors say the rad-hard chips were supplied by a company in Texas but sent to Russia through a company in Bulgaria to avoid US export laws, the detainee's brother said.

"These are semiconductor wafers. They have serial numbers, we have expertise from experts – we proved four times that the wafers are here. We bought six pieces, paid about 600,000 dollars," explains the brother Alexander Dimitrov.

According to him, the chips are used for both washing machines and smartphones.

"I insist on justice - that Bulgaria contact the American authorities and ask them what is the meaning of this," said Milan Dimitrov, who claims that he is innocent and that the accusations are unfounded.

In the case, the American authorities also blame the Russian businessman Ilias Sabirov, who, according to them, received the hardened chips. The FBI believes they serve as Iran's nuclear trigger, Pakistan.

"Can you imagine, these are ordinary memory chips - electronic components," commented Alexander.

But Texas prosecutors say the chips are specially made to withstand radiation and extreme temperatures and are critical components in the production of missiles and military satellites. The Bulgarians categorically deny this.

"This is a Hollywood scenario. We have traded with Russia and we are very comfortable doing it, because nothing depends on our company," said Alexander Dimitrov.

In the case of extradition, the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs replied that "the decision to declare a person for an international wanted warrant, as well as the existence of data on a committed crime justifying the international search of the person, are entirely within the competence of the authorities of the respective country, in the case of the USA The court in Greece is currently only competent to rule on the merits of the request for the extradition of Milan Dimitrov".

The Foreign Ministry said that Milan Dimitrov and his family did not seek the assistance of Bulgarian diplomats in Thessaloniki.

The Supreme Cassation Prosecutor's Office has not received any information about the extradition of Milan Dimitrov.

The detained Bulgarian made a request to the Bulgarian state: "I am innocent and I have been in prison for four and a half months. My life is falling apart."

The extradition decision of the Supreme Court in Greece is awaited, the trial is scheduled for September 1.

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