Balgarianovinite.com The outgoing Justice Minister Georgi Georgiev has ordered a review of the grounds cited by the Sofia Prison head in proposing the conditional early release of inmate Evelin Banev, the Justice Ministry said in a press release on Monday.
Earlier on Monday, the head of the Sofia Central Prison, Borislav Chorbanski submitted to the Sofia City Court (SCC) a proposal for the conditional early release of inmate Evelin “Brendo” Banev, the court told BTA. At the time the proposal was filed last week, four years and nine months remained of Banev’s sentence. SCC is to schedule a hearing to consider the request.
The Justice Ministry said Chorbanski will be temporarily suspended pending a review of whether the statutory requirements for conditional early release have been met. The Ministry added that Chorbanski failed to inform either the Director of the General Directorate Execution of Sentences or the Justice Ministry that he had filed the proposal.
In the reasoning for his proposal, Chorbanski notes that Brendo has served the majority of his sentence and that it has fulfilled its purpose.
Under Article 437(1)(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code, a proposal for conditional early release may be submitted by the regional prosecutor or the prison warden. Article 70 of the Criminal Code requires that the inmate show evidence of rehabilitation and have served at least half of the sentence, and at least two-thirds in cases of dangerous recidivism. Outgoing Justice Minister Georgi Georgiev ordered the review to verify compliance with these provisions.
Evelin “Brendo” Banev was arrested in 2012 in a Bulgarian-Italian law enforcement operation and in 2013 received a 20-year prison sentence in Italy for involvement in an international cocaine-trafficking ring. In July 2018, the Sofia City Prosecution Office issued a European Arrest Warrant to locate him so he could serve a six-year prison sentence, after he was not found at his known addresses and his whereabouts were unknown.
Banev, who has been wanted under Interpol Red Notices since 2018, surrendered to the Bulgarian authorities on June 24, 2024 and was taken to Sofia’s Central Prison. In the days that followed, he asked the Bulgarian court to let him serve in Bulgaria the sentences imposed on him in Italy and Romania, and Continue the Change–Democratic Bulgaria sought a parliamentary hearing of caretaker Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov over Banev’s appearance at Sofia Central Prison.
At the hearing in Parliament on June 28, 2024, Stoyanov said the Interior Ministry had information that Banev entered Bulgaria by plane between late March 2022 and early June 2022.
In April 2025, SCC ruled that Banev will serve a total prison sentence of ten years and six months in Bulgaria for crimes committed in Bulgaria, Romania and Italy, with time already served in detention in Italy and in Sofia deducted from the term. The court noted that the Italian authorities had not provided the reasoning behind their sentence and that communication with them had been slow. Justice Minister Orders Review, Suspends Sofia Central Prison Head over Evelin “Brendo” Banev Release Bid 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-02-02 16:57:00 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law