Lebanon’s prosecutor is preparing an extradition request for Igor Grechushkin, the owner of the Rhosus ship linked to the stockpile of ammonium nitrate that caused the deadly Beirut port explosion on 4 August 2020, which killed more than 220 people, injured thousands, and devastated the capital.
The 48-year-old Grechushkin, a Russian national based in Cyprus, was arrested on 5 September in Bulgaria on the basis of an Interpol red notice issued in 2020 at Lebanon’s request. According to local media, the arrest took place at Sofia airport immediately after his arrival from Cyprus. A Sofia court confirmed his detention for up to 40 days, during which Beirut must formally submit its extradition request.
The Beirut Bar Association’s legal team handling the case said the file is being prepared and will include a summary of the case, charges, and supporting evidence. “Once a wanted person enters a country cooperating with Interpol, they can be arrested, as happened in Bulgaria,” explained lawyer Yousef Lahoud.
However, there is no extradition treaty between Lebanon and Bulgaria, meaning the final decision rests with the Bulgarian authorities. The case is further complicated by Grechushkin’s dual Russian and Cypriot nationality, which leaves open the possibility of extradition to Moscow or Nicosia.
Legal experts note that if Russia receives Grechushkin, it may review Lebanon’s request but is unlikely to put him on trial, as most countries do not extradite their own citizens. In Cyprus, however, extradition would carry particular weight due to close ties with Lebanon and pressure from victims’ families for justice.
Grechushkin first drew attention in 2013 when his ship, the Moldova-flagged Rhosus, transported 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate from Georgia to Lebanon. The cargo was stored at the Beirut port for years despite repeated warnings about its dangers. The vessel eventually sank in 2018, while the explosive material remained piled up until the catastrophic August 2020 blast — one of the most powerful non-nuclear explosions ever recorded.
Families of the victims continue to accuse Lebanon’s political leadership of systematically obstructing the investigation to avoid accountability. The inquiry has been repeatedly frozen, with judges removed or blocked from prosecuting senior officials. Investigating judge Tarek Bitar reopened the probe earlier this year but has yet to issue indictments.
For more videos and updates, check out our YouTube channel.
