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World / Americas

Bulgaria to extradite French teen on 'terror' charges

Published: 05 Nov 2015 - 12:00 am | Last Updated: 01 Nov 2021 - 06:29 pm
Peninsula

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Sofia:  A Bulgarian court on Wednesday approved the extradition of a French 17-year-old wanted in his home country on "terrorism" charges, prosecutors said.

"The court approved the extradition of the French man who also gave his consent," prosecution spokesman Pavel Zhekov told AFP after a hearing in the southern town of Haskovo.

The youth was detained while trying to cross Bulgaria's southeastern Kapitan Andreevo border checkpoint into Turkey on October 16.

According to reports in the local press, he was arrested for travelling on an identity document which was not his but belonged to his brother-in-law, who was allegedly fighting for the Islamic State organisation in Syria.

It later became clear that a French court had issued a European warrant for his arrest on grounds of "participation in a criminal conspiracy for committing acts of terrorism," the prosecutor said.

Bulgaria is a major crossing point for Europeans heading to join Islamic State jihadists in Syria and Iraq and has so far intercepted and extradited several foreigners back to their home countries.

AFP