The first terrorism case in our recent history related to the attack at Sarafovo airport on July 18, 2012 - has finally been closed.
"There is already an effective sentence - life imprisonment without parole for the two accomplices of the perpetrator of the attack. The civil claims of the heirs of the dead five citizens of the State of Israel and one Bulgarian citizen, and of many injured persons were upheld," Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev told journalists.
The Court has confirmed the life sentences without parole for Meliad Farah and Hassan El Hajj Hassan. On 21.09.2020, the two were found guilty by the Specialized Criminal Court, and subsequently by the Specialized Appellate Court
"The terrorist act is among the biggest in Bulgarian history and in Europe," commented Ivan Geshev. The Prosecutor General made the statement after a solemn ceremony in the Synagogue in Sofia, where he received a letter of gratitude for the active role of the Prosecutor's Office in preventing the so-called Lukovmarch.
"I accept this not as a reward for the Prosecutor General, but as a reward for the efforts of the Prosecutor's Office, all Bulgarian institutions and the non-governmental organization "Shalom" for observing democracy and the rule of law. We do all this not for ourselves, but for the sake of our children, so that they live in a better country and not to repeat the black pages of our history," said Ivan Geshev.
" Holocaust, the greatest extermination in the history of mankind, did not begin with the concentration camps, but with the first sentence of hate speech. Therefore, it is extremely important that we all be together, not to allow even the slightest manifestation of anti-Semitism," added the Prosecutor General.
The ceremony was organized by representatives of the Organization of Jews in Bulgaria "Shalom", the Central Israeli Spiritual Council, the World Jewish Congress (WJC), the American Jewish Committee (AJC) and the Zionist Federation of Bulgaria.
Along with the Prosecutor General, the Deputy Prosecutor General at the Supreme Administrative Prosecutor's Office, Desislava Pironeva and the Deputy Director of the National Investigation Service, Yasen Todorov also took part in the event.
Representatives of the Executive and local authorities and security services were honored with letters of appreciation at the ceremony.
The organizers of the event emphasized that 19 years after the first Lukovmarch was held, the Bulgarian institutions took a position in defending the human rights and values of humanism. "Thank you for standing together against the hatred that divides us. This ugly event has poisoned for years with its human hatred. I am glad that we see supporters in your person", said Prof. Alexander Oskar, President of the Organization of Jews in Bulgaria "Shalom".