Zhelyaz Andreev (in the middle), accused by the US of breaching the sanctions regime against Syria, is now on bail and attended the protest in his defence on Thursday in Sofia. Picture: Martin Dimitrov/BIRN.

A few hundred people gathered in front of the Palace of Justice in Sofia on Thursday to protest against the extradition of Zhelyaz Andreev to the US over allegations that he participated in a conspiracy to sell prohibited aircraft parts to the Syrian regime.

The 29-year-old Bulgarian from the north-eastern town of Dobrich was arrested over the Easter weekend on an Interpol ‘red notice’ based on an indictment charging him with “conspiracy to defraud the US government and substantive violations of the Syria Trade Embargo”.

He was then released on bail, as he has no criminal past and has a full-time job, the regional prosecution office stated.

Four other Bulgarians accused of involvement in breaching the sanctions are also wanted by the US.

Andreev told Bulgaria’s bTV on Wednesday that he had warned the Bulgarian Ombudsman’s office, the presidency and the foreign ministry about the indictment and the prospects of an international arrest warrant over a year ago, but received no response.

On Thursday, Bulgarian Prime Minster Boyko Borissov ordered the foreign ministry to take urgent action to clarify the case.

More than 250 people with posters and badges saying “I am Zhelyaz” came to support the 29-year-old Bulgarian. Picture: Martin Dimitrov/BIRN.

The government announced that the Bulgarian ambassador to Washington will see the State Secretary for Europe Matthew Palmer, while the US ambassador to Sofia, Eric Rubin, will meet with the vice-foreign minister to discuss the issue.

A joint statement on Wednesday by members of the US investigating and prosecution team dealing with the case said that Andreev was charged with conspiracy to violate the sanctions by “exporting dual-use goods, that is, articles that have both civilian and military application, to Syrian Arab Airlines, the Syrian government’s airline, which is an entity designated and blocked by the US Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control, OFAC for transporting weapons and ammunition to Syria in conjunction with Hizballah, a terrorist organisation, and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps”.

According to the 45-page indictment court indictment, Andreev worked in the Bulgaria office of AW-Tronics, a Miami-based export company, which shipped and exported various aircraft parts and equipment to Syrian Arab Airlines.

Andreev dealt directly with the Syrian Air principals who procured the parts in the 2013-2014 period, the document claims.

With placards reading “We won’t give Zhelyaz” and “Working in a call centre is not a crime”, protesters expressed their opposition to the indictment. Some also shouted anti-American slogans. Photo: Martin Dimitrov/BIRN.

The Sofia office of AW-Tronics was run by the French-Iranian passport holder Ali Caby, while the Miami headquarters was managed by his brother Arash Caby.

Their sister Marjan Caby, AW-Tronics’ export compliance officer and auditor, facilitated these exports by submitting false and misleading electronic export information to federal agencies, the court documents say.

“All three defendants closely supervised and encouraged subordinate employees of AW-Tronics in the willful exportation of the parts and equipment to Syrian Arab Airlines, whose activities have assisted the Syrian government’s violent crackdown on its people,” the indictment reads.

Chief Prosecutor Sotir Tsatsarov announced on Thursday that the US is also seeking the deportation of four other Bulgarians who used to work for AW-Tronics, the company accused of sanctions-breaching exports to Syria.

The four others whose extradition is being sought are Mihaela Nenova, Lyubka Hristova, Iskren Georgiev and Ivan Sergiev.

According to a 2017 report by weekly magazine Capital, they held various managerial positions within the company. Mihaela Nenova was office manager, Lyubka Hristova was a logistics manager, Iskren Georgiev team leader and Ivan Sergiev was an acting department manager at the time the indictment was filed.

Andreev is the only AW-Tronics employee who did not have a managerial position to have been indicted by the US.

He maintains that he did not have any executive powers at the company and was working with clients that his supervisors had engaged before he joined AW-Tronics.