site.bta Sarafovo Bombing Trial to Start on September 26

Sarafovo Bombing Trial to Start on September 26

Sofia, August 23 (BTA) - Meliad Farah, 35 (Australian and Lebanese national), and Hassan El Hajj Hassan, 28 (Canadian and Lebanese national), will go on trial before the Specialized Criminal Court on September 26, 2016 for their part in a bus suicide bombing attack at the Bourgas Sarafovo in 2012, BTA learnt from knowledgeable sources.

The two are charged as aiders to the suicide bomber, who has been identified as Mohamad Hassan El Husseini, 24 (dual Lebanese-French citizen). Hassan and Farah will answer charges of terrorism, murder of 6 persons (five Israeli tourists and their Bulgarian driver), attempted murder of 35 persons, and damage to property (the destruction of the bus on board of which the bomb exploded and another one that was parked nearby), committed in the parking lot in front of the airport's passenger terminal on July 18, 2012. Two lawyers of the Bourgas Bar Association will represent the defendants as court-appointed defence counsel.

The court will sit in an extended panel, consisting of presiding judge Virginia Petrova and three lay judges. The two defendants will be tried in their absence because, even though wanted by Interpol, they have not been detected.

The court is preparing letters rogatory about 46 victims. Documents will be sent to Israel, Morocco and Iraq.

The prosecution submitted the indictment to the court on July 15. Some 100 expert examinations have been carried out in the case: 48 forensic medical, 10 biological, 10 technical, eight fingerprint, automotive, appraisal, etc.

A total of 70 witnesses have been questioned. The records of the investigation into the attack are bound in 80 volumes. Requests for international legal assistance have been sent to 13 countries.