site.btaSofia Appellate Court Upholds Indefinite Custody for Suspect in Paris Vandalism Incident

The Sofia Appellate Court on Tuesday upheld the indefinite custody for Kiril M., one of three Bulgarians wanted by the French authorities for vandalizing the Memorial de la Shoah, the Holocaust museum in Paris, on May 14. The measure, imposed by the Blagoevgrad District Court, is now unappealable.

Kiril was arrested in Bulgaria on July 25 along with another man, who was eventually released on bail.

At Tuesday's court hearing, Kiril's lawyer asked for his client to be placed under house arrest. The lawyer said that at the time of the Paris incident Kiril had a plaster cast on his right arm, which means he could not have painted things on the Holocaust museum. According to the lawyer, his client is in a poor mental state due to the use of alcohol and drugs, and it would be good if his mother looked after him.

The court argued that the man's risky behaviour indicates that he might abscond if not held in remand. It also stressed that a final decision on Kiril's possible extradition to France is due shortly, and his remand ensures his presence for the purposes of the legal case.

The third suspect was arrested in another EU member state.