site.btaFrench Citizen, Linked to Kouachi Brothers and Charged with Involvement in Terrorist Activities, Is Detained in Bulgaria

French Citizen, Linked to Kouachi Brothers and Charged with
Involvement in Terrorist Activities,
Is Detained in Bulgaria


Sofia, January 13 (BTA) - The Bulgarian authorities have
arrested French national, Fritz Jolie Joaquin who is wanted on
an
European Arrest Warrant, the Prosecution Office of the Republic
of Bulgaria said on Tuesday. According to the warrant, he has
been involved in an organized criminal group for the preparation
of terrorist acts and has been linked to one of the Kouachi
brothers, who slaughtered 12 people in an Islamist attack in
Paris satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo's offices last Wednesday.

On January 1, 2015, he was arrested while trying to cross
Bulgaria's southeastern Kapitan Andreevo border checkpoint with
Turkey on a bus. He was initially wanted on a European arrest
warrant issued by a court in France following allegations by his
wife that he had kidnapped their three-year-old son on December
30, the prosecution said. Joaquin was detained based on a
request of the Haskovo District Prosecution Office. The case on
the execution of the European arrest warrant was launched with
the same court.

On January 12, 2015, Bulgarian prosecutors received a second
European arrest warrant for Joaquin issued by a court in Paris
on charges of terrorism (involvement in an organized criminal
group for the preparation of terrorist acts). It says that
shortly before his departure from France Joaquin had contacts
with Cherif Kouachi, according to Haskovo District Prosecutor
Darina Slavova.

The Haskovo District Court is expected to handle Joaquin's
extradition hearing by the week's end. Joaquin's court-appointed
lawyer Radi Radev said that his client is willing to be
extradited in the swiftest possible way.

In court, Joaquin denied the terrorism charges but admitted he
had been close to one of the Paris terrorists since they were
children. He demanded that the charges against him be
substantiated with evidence and did not object to his placement
in custody. VI,PK/TK,PP



//